Ignorance is truly a terrifying thing. Upon reviewing the notice from the King of Code, Angus Code snorted through his nose.
The King of Code was the strongest existence in this city. Everything in the city was a part of the King, and Angus and the others merely borrowed that power.
Angus was the King of Code's biological son, but since he'd become old enough to understand the world, he had rarely ever laid eyes on his parent. Even Angus, as his own child, had only spoken face-to-face a handful of times — an absolutely inviolable existence. That was the king of this nation.
Precisely because he was the second most powerful in this city, Angus understood the King of Code's power all too well.
Until now, everyone in Code — royalty included — had been careful not to incur the King's wrath. Even Nora, who was fierce and feared by the citizens, had observed that boundary.
And yet, at this late stage, someone from the outside world had gone and broken that taboo.
The King of Code was impartial. At least, as far as Angus knew, the King had always been careful not to influence the balance of power among the Class 8 factions.
And yet, to think that the King would go out of his way to send a notice — just to ensure that the words of a mere spare bodyguard, someone with no connection to the succession, didn't sway anyone... Angus couldn't observe the King of Code's movements directly, but whoever it was must have done something truly idiotic.
Indeed, Klye Andrich's incompetence was excessive even by Angus's standards.
To make the very person he served, Alicia Code, practice bowing — and to think he'd arrived at that line of reasoning... Angus didn't even want to consider it.
The King of Code was right: ignoring the man was probably the best course. Alicia Code's camp would never become Angus's enemy, so there was no point even thinking about it.
Rather, it would be far more constructive to build up his forces, keep an eye on the movements of Nora and Tony, and observe the situation with "that woman" who had headed toward Morris.
In one corner of the area under Angus's control, at a testing ground that also served as a trial run for mechanized soldiers and other weaponry, Angus stood with his bodyguards, watching a single man at the center.
Kai — a man who had come from outside Code and had scored nearly the highest in the city's evaluation system in recorded history.
He possessed both a forged body and mind, and even while captured, he had managed to intimidate Angus. An extraordinary specimen. He now wore a mask that sealed his mind, but his physical ability — the same that had destroyed mechanized soldiers bare-handed — remained intact.
Jean, who had been overseeing the performance tests for Kai and Saya, wore a grin as he began his explanation.
"The body he destroyed himself has already recovered almost completely. Analysis and training are also proceeding without issue. The mask is working as intended — no problems there."
"Good... as expected. Give me the report."
Kai's abilities were extraordinary. Among Code-born individuals, and even compared to the influx of outsiders, he was in a class of his own.
But it wasn't his high ability alone that made Kai valuable. What mattered was where the root of that ability lay.
At Angus's words, Jean continued.
"Based on our analysis, the secret of Kai's strength lies in his unique footwork. His footwork and body movement keep even formidable mechanized soldiers at bay and radiate an almost... peculiar allure."
"Allure?"
"Yes — it's hard to describe with any precision, which is why it sounds vague, but... allure. Anyone who watches his combat with the naked eye finds themselves transfixed, unable to do anything but stand there in a daze. Of course, it doesn't work on mechanized soldiers — but against Princess Nora's enhanced knights, it should be quite effective. For facing Princess Nora's forces, I can't imagine a better ability."
"Hmm..."
It was a rather difficult explanation to grasp, but Jean was an excellent man. If this was the report he was compelled to give, then so be it.
Angus stopped asking questions and looked toward Kai. Even under Angus's gaze, Kai didn't so much as twitch. The mask's power had completely sealed his consciousness.
He would be stronger without the mask, but a weapon that might bare its fangs at you at any moment couldn't be trusted. It was a measure with no alternative.
"Performance test 255 — begin."
At Jean's command, the walls of the training ground stirred, and countless sleek turrets emerged. These weren't mass-projectile weapons but optical weapons designed to incinerate targets with pinpoint precision.
The right to summon ranged weaponry was one that anyone of noble rank possessed. Whether mass projectiles or optical weapons, the ability to counter long-range armaments was essential when vying for the throne.
The weapons Angus had at his disposal were special models developed with invested resources and time. Their power, enhanced by specialized reinforcement techniques, would mow down even Nora's hardened soldiers like branches.
"...Doesn't he need armor?"
"You'll see when you look."
Without any signal, the weapons fired at the motionless Kai. From every direction, beams of light converged on him — and Kai's response was simply to rotate his body and take a step.
Angus couldn't help but stare. Every heat beam that struck Kai vanished as if by magic.
They were undeniably hitting him. It looked as though they were hitting him. Yet not a single scorch mark remained on Kai's body.
At first glance, his movements looked like nothing more than a graceful dance. Indeed, his motions had a strange, mesmerizing quality that drew the eye.
But could a dance alone really neutralize weapons that Code had developed through rigorous research and enhancement? What kind of principle could possibly explain this?
Next, five mechanized soldiers closed in on the dancing Kai. These were the one-man-army units — built with rugged armor, immense strength, and high learning capability, designed to eliminate Code's enemies. Kai showed no particular reaction to their approach.
As a massive fist came crashing down, Kai crossed his arms. That was all it took — the mechanized soldier's body, weighing several hundred kilograms, was launched high into the air.
Even Angus, who hadn't blinked for a moment, couldn't tell what Kai had done. Jean explained.
"Kai appears to be extremely skilled at using force. Moreover, he's distilled that into a unique combat style. Even the high-learning-capability mechanized soldiers can't replicate it. He seems to be redirecting their power through shifts in his center of gravity, flinging them away."
"Even if he's borrowing some of the opponent's force, he shouldn't be able to dispel the heat beams. How do you explain that?"
"That would be... the power of Mana Material. He's likely using Mana Material to drastically reinforce specific parts of his body — his palms, his elbows, that sort of thing. Additionally, when we scanned him, we found several other locations displaying unusual levels of force."
So the man was simply swatting away heat beams with his forged bare hands. At this unexpected revelation, Angus furrowed his brows.
He had hoped that analyzing Kai's strength would allow him to enhance his mechanized soldiers and the troops he'd brought in from outside, but it seemed that wouldn't work.
This was power born from exceptional talent and relentless effort.
But that wasn't the critical question. What mattered was how effectively Kai could serve as a trump card.
"If Kai fought the Thunder Emperor, who would win?"
"It depends on the circumstances. However, Code's calculations show Kai with a near-certain advantage. Above all, Kai has a natural resistance to lightning."
Even as Jean spoke, the mechanized soldiers extended their arms.
Violent purple lightning crackled from their fingertips. In that instant, Kai charged headlong into the colossal bolt of lightning without a moment's hesitation.
A searing, crackling roar. A mechanized soldier was slammed into the ground.
Standing there was Kai — having taken the lightning strike and remained completely unharmed.
The Thunder Emperor's assault had been an unforeseen event in Angus's plans, but to have obtained a man who could rival that power — there was no other word for it than fortune.
"The problem is if Nora uses the Seal Designation as a piece on her board. If we can't take down her ace, things could turn against us. There are a few other concerns as well — but what about Saya?"
"Saya is... still under analysis. Since her ability remains an unknown variable, testing her would be dangerous."
"...Hmm. Continue the analysis. That ability is one I absolutely want."
One trump card wasn't enough. To be fully prepared, he needed at least two — one for defense and one for offense. Angus was confident he already surpassed the other factions in both troop numbers and weaponry, but you could never be too prepared.
For Angus, the position of King of Code was not the finish line.
After claiming the throne, he would need to deploy Code's military might outward into the outside world. To that end, he was already coordinating closely with external organizations.
"Push their training to the limit. Get them accustomed to wearing the masks. And what about that woman who went to Morris?"
"It appears she's been appointed as his bodyguard by Prince Morris, just as Your Highness planned."
"...Hmph. Morris is so predictable it's boring. Who knew cowardice could make someone so easy to manipulate?"
At Jean's report, Angus snorted dismissively.
The battle for succession had begun even before the King's passing. Among those brought in from outside, there were several formidable individuals besides Kai and Saya — and nearly all of them were connected to Angus's faction.
He had sent special powerhouses to the timid Morris. Even if the man wasn't king material, the authority he held was the same as Angus's — far too dangerous to leave unattended.
By now, Morris was probably relieved without a clue that his bodyguards were puppets placed by Angus.
It was such a convenient narrative — that fortune would rain down on someone who didn't even move first — and yet it simply wasn't true.
Angus cracked a smile and gave Jean his orders.
"If anything comes up, report it to me. We need to gather as many allies as we can before the time comes."
"Yes, sir. Leave the trivial matters to me — I will see Your Highness's plan through to completion."
§ § § What on earth had that man done...
Nora Code didn't know whether to be exasperated or impressed by the notice sent directly from the King.
Having the King's personal attention directed at her was unprecedented. The King of Code normally left the city's governance to the Class 8 factions and rarely interfered.
The notice contained no details about what the man had actually done, but its wording made it abundantly clear that he had done something utterly ridiculous to the King.
This meant the man had managed to exasperate Angus, Nora, and the King himself. The man was indeed the most incompetent person in Code's history, but if he were merely incompetent, this wouldn't have happened.
How was he still not dealt with? And moreover, that man — he shouldn't even have the right to contact the King, let alone the royal family— In Nora Code's private chamber.
Nora sat deeply in her chair as one of her bodyguards, who had been listening to the unprecedented message from the King, furrowed his well-groomed brows and sought confirmation.
"Lady Nora, what shall we do?"
"...Indeed."
The King's notice had warned the royal family not to be swayed by Klye Andrich's idiotic antics. That would naturally include the incident where Nora had handed the Thunder Emperor over to Klye.
If she took that warning to heart, the most straightforward approach would be to shut Klye Andrich out entirely. With her authority, Nora could completely block any contact from Klye Andrich and physically bar him from entering her territory — a simple matter.
She considered the possibility briefly, crossed her legs the other way, and let out a small sigh.
"I can't simply ignore him. After all, he's the Thunder Emperor's friend."
"...Forgive my presumption, but I thought you had given up on the Thunder Emperor?"
"I gave up on making him a piece on my board. But that doesn't mean I need to sever ties, does it? The Thunder Emperor is undoubtedly here in Code."
She might not be able to make him a bodyguard, but depending on the terms of a deal, borrowing his power was certainly possible.
To do that, however, she needed to build a smooth relationship with Klye Andrich.
The man was, as the King of Code said, undoubtedly incompetent. But at the same time — he was undeniably an important figure.
True, Nora had given up on using the mask on the Thunder Emperor after the man's advice, but she didn't regret it.
Klye Andrich was the Thunder Emperor's friend, a man who had infiltrated Code at the risk of his life to rescue the Thunder Emperor, and he had two companions equal to the Thunder Emperor himself.
Klye Andrich was disrespectful toward Nora, but he was not an enemy. And if he wasn't an enemy, then perhaps his power could be borrowed.
Furthermore, he should have information about Kai and Saya — the ones Angus had mentioned. He might even know their abilities and weaknesses. That alone made it worthwhile to maintain a connection.
"To form a cooperative relationship, we'll need bait, though."
"He'd probably agree even without bait, but... hmph. He's a spare bodyguard. All we need to do is guarantee the spare's life after everything is said and done."
Alicia Code — created as a contingency spare in case the royal family was wiped out by unforeseen events — was destined to be disposed of once her role was fulfilled.
But at the same time, there was no sufficiently strong reason to justify that disposal.
It had been arranged from the start. Having her dead rather than alive was slightly more convenient.
The reason for her disposal was that shallow, and it was a fate that Nora could overturn.
Of course, only if Nora won the throne.
"However... even if we call him a bodyguard, the man is an outsider — and he's only just become one. Would he agree to those terms?"
"What have you been watching? That man came all the way here to save his friend."
That was one of the major reasons Nora could declare he was not an enemy.
The man was — soft. Softer than anyone Nora had ever encountered, without any particular conviction, and probably — foolish and kind. As if he knew nothing of war, of conflict, of hostility.
That was precisely why the man had offered to give up his turn in the prison, and why he had asked Nora — an enemy — for help over something as trivial as a minor inconvenience.
Therefore, she could work with him. Far better than allying with Angus or Tony, and far better than joining forces with the nobles who were watching the situation with predatory eyes, vying for any advantageous position they could seize.
"Angus is fed up with Klye. Probably, even the calculating Angus didn't anticipate Klye forming an alliance. And there's the King's notice to consider."
"............"
Nora's bodyguard said nothing in response. But his stern expression communicated his thoughts clearly enough.
This loyal man was worried that Nora would be manipulated by Klye's antics again, just as she had been in the prison. And that concern was entirely justified.
Klye's incompetence was so extreme that even Angus — who seemed to think the man might keel over and die if he did even one thing beneficial to Nora — had felt compelled to warn her about it.
"I know. I don't intend to build an equal partnership. I won't cede the initiative. I'll be on top, and he'll be on bottom. Start monitoring the spare — Alicia Code — right now. We don't have much time left."
If Angus's words were true, then without taking any action, once the succession battle began, Nora's chances of victory would grow exceedingly slim. The truth was uncertain, but Nora was not so conceited as to believe her knights could easily triumph against Angus's forces, which included two individuals on the Thunder Emperor's level.
She needed one more move to tip the battle in her favor. Even if the Thunder Emperor sided with her, she needed one more.
"The Seal Designation... hmph. The risk is high, but... I can't just sit here and wait for defeat."
A special prisoner sealed away in the deepest depths of Code's prison, captured at the request of an external organization. She had wanted to avoid relying on uncertain factors, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
Fortunately, the mask she hadn't used on the Thunder Emperor was still available. It was worth trying.
§ § § Perhaps the world was freer than she had imagined.
For the first time in her life, Alicia Code was questioning the common sense that the education system had given her.
Alicia had never once left this room since the day she was born. She had never felt the need to.
Everything she needed was provided, and she received her education. These were the decrees of the great King of Code, beyond any room for doubt.
And so — Klye's proposal and the King of Code's response had been deeply shocking to Alicia.
In Alicia's understanding, the King of Code's decisions were absolute. One could beg for mercy, but the King was not someone you could pester or manipulate — not someone you could push your whims upon.
Klye's suggestion had been something she halfheartedly followed out of desperation after the first bow, and had Alicia been a bit calmer, she never would have done something so rude.
To think that through such a pointless "tantrum" — which Alicia herself hadn't even believed would work — the King of Code would reverse his decision.
In Alicia's worldview, that was an absolutely impossible outcome.
But looking at the results, it seemed that Alicia had been wrong and Klye, the outsider, had been right.
She didn't believe the city system's education was deeply flawed. Royals had their responsibilities, their obligations, their things to learn.
But at the same time, she now believed one needed a broader perspective.
Outside Code, there were things that couldn't be learned within Code.
Klye, her bodyguard, had declared that the outside world had many things far more delicious than chocolate. If so, Alicia needed to know about them.
To make this great Code even better, she needed to find superior things and bring them into Code. That could be counted as one of the obligations of royalty. It should be counted as such.
Alicia couldn't leave her room. That was the absolute premise set by the King. But even so, there should be things she could do.
For instance, gathering information from Klye, compiling a report, and sending it to the King. If the King determined Alicia's report to be useful, he would use that information to operate Code's functions — just as he had (presumably) started the chocolate research out of pity upon seeing Alicia's wretched state.
Alicia spent the entire night buzzing with excitement over the King's reversal of heart — prompted by her tantrum — and the staggering fact Klye had revealed at the end, and she formulated her own plan of action.
Alicia had time. Her schedule was set by the city system, but her educational curriculum was nearly complete, and the exercises for maintaining her health didn't take that long.
In retrospect, Klye arriving as her bodyguard had been nothing short of a tremendous blessing.
Starting with the wonderful treat of chocolate, her knowledge had grown immensely — a far cry from the days when her only bodyguards were mechanized soldiers, or even when the Bikers first arrived.
Most importantly, ever since Klye came — more attention had clearly been directed at Alicia.
Anyone with roughly Class 4 clearance could peek into Alicia's room, but up until now, virtually no one had. Now, however, she was being observed frequently. Alicia could sense it. And among those watching, there were individuals who held authority equal to her own.
It didn't necessarily change anything, but being watched naturally sharpened one's awareness.
She rose in the morning and went through her daily routine. But her mind was filled with thoughts of what was to come.
The sun had long since risen, yet Klye lay in the bed outside her room, not stirring a muscle. In the first few days, he had woken up when she did, but his wake-up time had grown progressively later in inverse proportion to the increasing number of people monitoring her.
Picking at her breakfast in agitation, she found it didn't taste very good. It was always less delicious than chocolate, of course, but she found herself frowning involuntarily.
After finishing her exercises, her breakfast, and her morning study, there was still no sign of Klye waking up.
How much could that man sleep? Honestly... a bodyguard who made his master wait — the nerve. Should I throw a tantrum too?
As she was thinking this, a notification entered Alicia's mind.
The sound of metal striking the floor. The door opened, and a pure-white, sleek mechanized soldier approached with measured footsteps.
A special-spec mechanized soldier designed for royal bodyguards.
The city system had determined that Alicia's bodyguard complement was below the required number and that she had no prospects of meeting it, so it had deployed mechanized soldiers.
Twenty-three of them. Upon seeing mechanized soldiers after so long, Alicia let out a small sigh involuntarily.
Until just days ago, Alicia's bodyguards had been nothing but mechanized soldiers. She had been content with that — or rather, she had no particular complaints. But compared to Klye and the bodyguards he'd brought, the mechanized soldiers were functional yet utterly uninteresting.
The mechanized soldiers lined the corridor in silence, guarding Alicia's room.
If there were an intruder, they would surely subdue them quickly. But they wouldn't chat with her, and they didn't even look at her.
These royal bodyguard mechanized soldiers were special units. Different in both performance and command structure from the other mechanized soldiers that protected Code. They would move according to Alicia's commands, but conversely, they wouldn't move without commands. And Alicia had nothing in particular to command them to do.
Boring. Nothing interesting to look at. No excitement. No surprises.
Staring at the plain mechanized soldiers, Alicia felt a welling of limitless dissatisfaction and took a deep breath.
It was astonishing. Truly astonishing. That she — Alicia — could feel even the slightest dissatisfaction with Code's perfect city system.
Perhaps Alicia had become very spoiled in this short time.
Just then, the bed stirred, and the more interesting bodyguard finally moved, sitting up.
Was it acceptable for a bodyguard to keep sleeping when so many mechanized soldiers had approached?
His hair was a mess. In front of the exasperated Alicia, Klye stretched widely and said in a leisurely voice: "Good morning, Your Highness."
"It's... already eleven o'clock..."
"Yeah, somehow I've been getting up early ever since I came here. Is the bed really that much better?"
"!?"
Early riser? She couldn't believe it. Was he that much of a heavy sleeper, or was this considered normal in the outside world?
And what kind of bodyguard slept in later than his master?
In front of the utterly exasperated Alicia, Klye's eyes went wide at the sight of the mechanized soldiers lined up on both sides.
"!? Your Highness, these are..."
"...New bodyguards. They just arrived."
It was all the same to her. There was no danger of attack, so these bodyguard mechanized soldiers were basically just decorations.
Wanting to move on quickly, Alicia was about to change the subject when Klye spoke: "...Could I... use these too? I'd like an escort when I go outside..."
...The bodyguard who was supposed to be escorting Alicia was now asking for an escort of his own?
Wait — hold on.
Was this... perhaps meaning that he would take Alicia outside?
That had to be it. Why else would a bodyguard request an escort for himself?
Until now, she'd had no interest in the outside world. She had never wanted to leave the room. The King of Code himself had decided to lock this room.
But if Klye was going to work hard to show Alicia the outside world, there was no reason to refuse.
There were many things outside the city that Code didn't have. But Alicia didn't know everything about what was inside Code either — at least, she had the knowledge but not the experience.
The problem was that the King of Code's decision to lock her in probably wouldn't be overturned, but when she'd followed Klye's suggestion before, he had agreed to research chocolate — something that had been denied before.
Alicia was royalty. Even if she went outside, no one would dare attack her — but thinking about royal security was the bodyguard's job.
And Klye, as the bodyguard leader, asking whether he had command authority over the mechanized soldiers wasn't unnatural at all.
Klye had no command authority. In principle, only the King and the person being guarded could command the bodyguard mechanized soldiers.
Taking a deep breath, Alicia accessed the city system.
Processing the vast flood of information streaming into her mind, she distinguished between what she could and couldn't do.
Most of Alicia's royal privileges were frozen — the King had deemed them unnecessary. But that freezing had been relaxed in response to Alicia's previous plea.
Allowing items to be sent from outside — it might seem like a simple thing to permit, but enabling it required restoring several of Alicia's frozen privileges.
They had been frozen because the King saw no need. They were unfrozen because the King sensed a need. The King of Code was omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, and great. Alicia had no hesitation in exercising her rights.
Sure enough, the management authority for the royal bodyguard mechanized soldiers did exist within her.
She checked the list of the newly deployed mechanized soldiers and transferred every last bit of their command authority — which had belonged solely to Alicia — over to Klye.
Now the mechanized soldiers would treat Klye's commands as equal to Alicia's. Taking another deep breath to compose herself, Alicia spoke to Klye while maintaining her royal dignity, careful not to let any hope leak through: "I've transferred management authority for all bodyguard mechanized soldiers to you. Is that sufficient?"
Klye blinked, looked at the mechanized soldiers standing at attention, and said: "That helps. So, um... how strong are these mechanized soldiers, exactly?"
Could it be... that普通的 bodyguard mechanized soldiers weren't enough?
The bodyguard mechanized soldiers were powerful — enhanced beyond ordinary mechanized soldiers. On paper specifications alone, they would rank among the top humanoid weapons in Code's arsenal.
But at the same time, these were undeniably standard, unmodified bodyguard mechanized soldiers.
According to the education system Alicia had received, bodyguard mechanized soldiers were meant to truly show their worth only when the royal family invested their own resources to customize them.
Whether the young man before her knew this, she wasn't sure. But being chosen as a bodyguard, he surely had a discerning eye.
"...Klye, I appreciate your sense of responsibility. But I have almost no resources..."
"Huh? Resources...?"
Royals were supposed to be granted the right to use Code's resources — resources. But Alicia had been given only the bare minimum for survival. That was why, despite being royalty, she couldn't even conduct a single chocolate research project on her own.
This was the King's decision. Code's resources were finite, and no amount of tantrums would result in additional resources being allocated to Alicia.
Klye furrowed his brows for a moment, then nodded with a look of disappointment.
"Got it. So they're not that strong, basically... and in any case, I can't drag that many along with me."
This was — bad. This bodyguard was about to give up on taking Alicia outside.
So ordinary bodyguard mechanized soldiers weren't enough. Not being able to bring that many meant the escort plan would hit problems.
She wanted to say: They may be unmodified, but each one is a one-person-army! Surely that's enough! But the bodyguard leader wouldn't change his stance that easily. Perhaps the fact that this might be Alicia's first time outside was also a concern.
Alicia panicked and accessed the city system again.
"...W-wait, just a moment..."
She double-checked her privileges and turned her mind, desperately searching for what she could do based on the knowledge the education system had given her.
The resources allocated to Alicia were truly minuscule, but there had to be something she could do.
Give them external weapons. Enhance the mechanized soldiers themselves. No good — neither was possible with her resources. In the first place, she hadn't been given the authority to possess weapons.
The deployment of twenty-three bodyguard mechanized soldiers was simply a relief measure dictated by the city's rules, not a reflection of Alicia's power... No, wait!
Alicia gasped at her own thought and looked up. A thrilling rush surged through her overheated brain — she had never thought this hard before.
But she had come up with something good. Could she be a genius?
"Return most of the newly deployed bodyguard mechanized soldiers to resources! With those resources, I can create weapons and enhance the remaining mechanized soldiers! And the mechanized soldiers that are lost in number will be replenished by the city system!"
"Huh?"
Klye's eyes went round. That kind of thing was allowed? was what he seemed to be asking.
Before Klye could say anything, Alicia declared: "It is allowed! That's how the rules work!"
It wasn't "allowed." Using the city system's relief measures in such a manner was an egregious misuse of royal privilege. But when it came to whether it was possible or not — it probably was.
And that was all that mattered. Everything was for the sake of Code's future.
At Alicia's decisive command, the mechanized soldiers were absorbed into the floor. Modifications and weapons were all within the scope of the city's capabilities — it wouldn't take long.
Of the twenty-three, twenty were returned to resources. Within that resource value, she requisitioned weapons and modification parts, then enhanced the remaining three. The city system handled the actual work — all Alicia had to do was make choices. But those choices drastically altered the mechanized soldiers' performance. There was a joy to it, like solving a puzzle.
The enhancement of three bodyguard mechanized soldiers using the resources of twenty was completed swiftly. Alicia had never used the mechanized soldier enhancement system before, but Code's capabilities were impressive as always.
The floor opened, and the freshly enhanced mechanized soldiers rose to the surface. Alicia's eyes gleamed as she inspected the bodyguards she had designed.
The new mechanized soldiers were specialized for defense rather than attack: one loaded with disruption weapons, one designed to disarm opponents, and one built for mobility and flight — an escape unit. Each was given a different color to mark their special nature. Surely, these would meet with Klye's approval.
"These are... incredible."
"Aaaaah!!"
At the sight of the three mechanized soldiers Alicia had designed, Klye let out an admiring cry.
The new mechanized soldiers had passed. Still riding the peak of her excitement, Alicia beamed as Klye spoke with a broad grin: "Then I'll gratefully borrow them. I'm going to go take a look around outside."
"...Eh?"
Before she could fully process it, Klye had taken the bodyguard mechanized soldiers and left.
Alicia stood bewildered for a while, then finally moved away from the door and sat on her bed, hugging her knees.
Could it be... that he needed to check for safety beforehand? He went that far?
There was absolutely no one who would harm her, a royal of Code — he was worrywart to an extreme. She felt like she'd been caught off guard.
But it was too early to be disappointed. Perhaps he couldn't get the King of Code's approval without first confirming safety. If so, there was nothing she could do.
Alicia quickly composed herself and hurried to the large window, peering down at the buildings below.
§ § § Her Highness is really generous — lending me mechanized soldiers that look this strong.
Skipping along as I left Her Highness's building, the sunlight poured down as if bestowing its blessing upon me.
My objective this time goes without saying — protecting the royals. More precisely, supporting Kaiser and Saya, who were protecting the royals.
But there was a second objective: acquiring a Treasure Weapon from the advanced physical civilization that should exist within Code. That was finally within reach.
I had already worked hard enough within Code. I'd done about everything there was to do, so it was time to go Treasure Weapon hunting. I could also sightsee — inspect — the city at the same time. Two birds with one stone.
Wandering the streets without an escort would have been inadvisable, but Her Highness's generosity had solved that too.
Really, I'd originally planned to rely on Kurahi for escort duty, but I'd been barred from entering Her Highness's building.
That's right. If I patrol the city streets, I might even run into Kaiser or Saya. Three birds with one stone — now that's what you call a masterstroke.
I turned to the three mechanized soldiers — each unlike any I'd seen in this city — and patted them on the shoulders.
"Take care of me, you three."
Now, let's go see the city.