Quest of Automata King

A Casual Conversation

Two days after that, the designated date have arrived. The news about first year students that finally able to cruise outside of the campus quickly spread, making it being hyped up among them.

They are celebrating the absence of classes in saturdary, while on the other hand, preparing to going outside with their casual clothes. Since morning, the boy dormitory already full with students going back and forth, talking about small plans they wanted to do once they are in the city.

Same thing also applied at Mui’s roommates. Him, Raul, and Karas is preparing with their own casual clothes to go outside. Turn out, Robert also happened in the same page.

“Oh Robert! You’re going outside too?” asked Karas with his usual friendly behaviour.

“Yeah, I got task that require material from the shop under, What about you?” replied Robert, he buttoned up his shirt, while avoiding Raul who is walking around the room to get his stuff inside the cabinet.

“Same thing. Hey, what about we go together? You will be surprised with who we’re going to walk with!” said Karas excitedly. But that offer is quickly taken down by Robert.

“Sorry, I have a plan with my study group friends. I’ll go with you any other time alright?” Robert take his stuff on top of the table: some notes, mechanical pen, and one thick book that Karas notice it cover.

“Oh, that the bestiary from the library isn’t it? You are studying about beasts and monsters?” asked Karas.

“This? Oh yeah,” said Robert, he is a little bit stuttered, but quickly get that book inside his travelling bag. “This is just some research, we’re going to interview some adventurers that have more experiences with these monsters,” said Robert. After he said that, Robert quickly bid farewell to his friends and then stepped outside of the room.

“Fuhhh...” he let out a sigh as he grabbed his bag tightly. “They were almost catch me,” said Robert to no one. He keep walking into the corridors that filled with students with casual clothes. His direction only one: to the city outside of the campus.

Meanwhile, Mui, Karas and Raul are still busy with their clothing. Raul and Karas is almost done, but once again, Mui find difficulties regarding the size of his clothes.

Everytime Mui wanted to button up his shirt, the fabric on his back won’t stretch further. Mui trying to pull the button and the hole together again, until everynone in the room can hear the ripping sound.

“Ah...” Mui realize what just happened, breezing wind making contact with his back, as he turn around. There is a new hole appeared on back of his shirt that suppose to be one sheet of fabric, Mui is not only fitting with his old clothes, but also ripping it apart, making it useless.

“I will remind you to buy clothes while we’re at the city,” said Karas that have paying atention to Mui’s dressing up attempt.

***

In the end, after begging to Raul, the elf is agree to borrowing one os his bigger shirt. This time, it’s matching Mui just fine, and they continue on their way to the designated place with Emmellia and Betty.

Mui remember this place, this is the front gate of the academy, where the first years are getting to the school for the first time using the carriages. Because they got here at night time, Mui doesn’t know what it look like on a bright day under the sun.

“Whoa, this place is much larger than I remember,” said Mui, ranging around three kilometers, are large pavement with golden-coloured rock, while at the left and right of that pavement, is some sort of garden with lush trees. On the stairs where the students come and go, Mui, Karas, and Raul remember that this place is where they are going to meet Emmellia and Betty.

At first it is a little hard to meet, since this place is a little crowded, but following the voice that they hear, Mui quickly notice where those girls are.

“Hey! Over Here!” shout betty from the distance. Mui, Karas, and Raul notice her and they quickly get to that place.

The first thing that Mui’s see is those blue eyes. Now the eyes that he secretly adore is hiding behind the glass that reflecting light. Princess Emmellia wearing glasses with thin frame, and her white hair is covered with blue beanie that matching the color of her eyes.

She wears a long skirt on her body, with half-body blazer the covered her shoulder. She wearing a very modest clothes, however those alone can’t hide the sense of royalties that generate naturally from her existence.

“Um... Mui, Hello?” a voice suddenly awake Mui from his daydream, and he takes a step backward.

“P-pardon me, Princess! I’m not starring at your clothes or anything!” shout him.

“What are you saying? You’re starring at Emmellia’s body!?” Betty who wear more tomboyish clothes rolling up her shirt with the intention to hit Mui. But before she could do that, Emmellia quickly stopping her with the sign of her hand.

“Come on! You guys are overreacting! Come on! We don’t want to miss out the ingredients aren’t we?” said Emmellia, she walked to the direction of front gate, while the rest of the team following from behind.

Mui noticed that Betty is walking faster in front of him. She glaring back at him, and make a symbol with her hand.

“I’m watching you,”

Then she back to the side of Emmellia, like an obedient bodyguard. Inside his min, Mui hope that this would not lead to another complicated problem.

Ten minutes after they leaving the front gate, five of them taking a leisure walk throughout the city. While it’s one of the rare moment that they could use to winding up from classes’s busy hours, they also want to know everything that they found in the city, who know that they might need them in the future?

At one corner of the street, a plate of an establisment is catching Mui’s eye. Written with colorful picture and words, that place is named: ‘One Thousand Barrels’. The good smells of food and music coming from the tavern intrigue Mui, but for now, he have to make sure that their assignment is completed.

When Mui hasten his pace to his team, Mui find out that Betty is the one that leading the group, while Emmellia, is walking behind them.

Therefore, when Mui catching up with them, he walked side-by-side with the princess of the kingdom.

“Hey, what you catching at?” asked Emmellia.

“Oh... Nothing actually, I just interested with one of the restaurant that being recomended by my friend,” replied Mui.

“I see, restaurant, huh?”

“Hahaha...” Mui scratched his head while laughing, once again he feels awkwardness coming between them.

Mui have become a noble right? At least that what Goettia claimed he have done in the night they form a contract. But if that true, then why he can’t match up with her? Or why didn’t Emmellia talking about stuff that she avoid to talk few days ago? Think Mui.

“Whoa, man,” Goettia suddenly invading Mui’s mind. “I know you’re not a genius, but the thing that I don’t know, is that you are this dumb.” He said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, for the first part, what do you think I give you an enchanced body from someone else, right? Let me said it straight to your dull head: It’s to make you more confident to talk with her!” said Goettia.

“Be cocky! Be prideful! Show that as a noble you can be arrogant and get whatever you wanted! It’s not just the bloodline, but alos your effort that count!” said Goettia.

Mui looked worried for a second, sweat rolling from his forehead, thinking about the next step that he will take regarding to this matter.

“Um... Emmellia...” Mui decide that he is going to act now. He didn’t have important topics to say, or anything that may be interesting for the likes of her.

When Emmellia turned her head toward Mui, he started to feel overwhelmed with fears. He afraid that his attempt will only make the two of them strayed further from each other, therefore, he said something that he remember from their conversation at the library, last time.

“I’m sorry, about yesterday,” he said, “Maybe you’re right, I’m just an outsider. Even more, I’m not even a human who understand the politic situations this kingdom.” Said Mui.

“Heck, I’m not even a noble. I don’t know what you have going throught,” said Mui. He looked to the Emmellia, and notice the small smile on her face.

“No, it’s fine,” said Emmellia, making Mui a little bit surprised with the answer. “Your response are actually on point. What the point of doing it if I don’t like it right?” she glanced with eyes that looked a little sad.

“I can’t lying to myself, that from deep side inside my heart, I don’t want to do it either. I wanted to scream, and i also wanted to destroy everything that have chained me for so long. To be honest, that engagement with Challender too... I don’t want to...” said Emmellia. This time her head is hanging down, and her step are slower.

Mui matched to her step, so he would not left Emmellia behind, while the team is going forward. A little bit after that, Emmellia lift her face, and increase her pacing for the team in front of them.

“Emmellia, I...” Mui trying to find a perfect response. “I’m... Not the weak Devil you know from the station,” said Mui, When she heard that, Emmellia’s surprised. She doesn’t expect that Mui will say it.

She knows that with his new physic, fewer people will try to pick on him, but that does not mean that Challender and Julius will stopped. If anything, they might going to increase the intensify of bullying to Mui.

“Also... I’m not afraid anymore from Challender and Julius... I did not want to take revenge from both of them, but... If you feel scared, upset, or down, anything... I wanted to say that you can relying on my help.” Said Mui.

Emmellia looking at him with meaningful eyes. Smile appeared on her face, and not a small one.

This time is a smile that filled with confidence. Although Mui did not hear any aswer from her, Mui suggest that with that smile, his message have been delivered to her.