"STOP IT ALREADY!! MAKE IT STOOOP!!"
Inside the Jewel's meeting room, I was huddled on the floor, both hands clamped over my ears.
No matter how much I screamed and begged, they just wouldn't stop laying into me.
There were six villains present.
Well, five.
The Fifth Generation watched the other five with a look of exasperation.
"I still think the best one was 'Kiss the Sleeping Beauty!'"
The Third Generation stood in front of the blackboard, picking out the most entertaining moments from my recent growth.
From among the many actions listed, the Second through Seventh Generations were heatedly debating which one deserved the top prize this time.
The Fourth Generation agreed with that opinion.
"Indeed. Lyle giving his first kiss to an Automaton — that's hands down the winner no matter how you look at it."
The Second Generation voiced a dissenting opinion.
"The 'I love you' declaration to Novem-chan is hard to ignore too. The way Novem-chan gave Lyle that subtle look and just brushed him off... don't you think that was great?"
The Sixth Generation spoke up.
"As for me, jumping over the wall, sliding, and then getting his hand bitten by a bug — that was pretty solid."
The Third Generation burst out laughing, remembering me from that moment.
"This time was a real bumper crop. 'I won't make the same mistake again,' he said. How about we just start awarding a 'Best Lyle Award' every time from now on?"
The Seventh Generation looked at me and spoke.
"Lyle, it's rare to find someone who can entertain us this much through 'growth.'"
"They probably think they're comforting me, but I don't feel the slightest bit comforted."
In my opinion, these guys were definitely enjoying themselves and keeping quiet on purpose.
Why did I keep pulling stunts like that one after another...? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't come up with an answer.
"I've had enough. Next time, I'm definitely not going outside. Absolutely not!"
When I said that, the exasperated Fifth Generation spoke up.
"Getting laughed at a little is hardly worth making such a fuss. More importantly, can we move on to the real topic?"
Just then, the Third Generation stopped the Fifth Generation.
"Wait! Just a little longer until we decide the Best Lyle Award!"
The Fourth Generation chimed in as well, his glasses glinting.
I hate these guys.
"That comment about wanting to eat the last Shannon is pretty tempting too. Well, I suppose the Fifth and Sixth Generation were making too big a deal out of it."
The Fourth Generation's gaze shifted to the Fifth and Sixth Generations.
The Fifth Generation maintained a composed expression, while the Sixth Generation had his arms crossed and looked rather awkward.
As for Miranda, there had been no change since her return.
She had told me she wanted me to leave the matter of Shannon to her.
Since the sisters wanted to have a heated discussion about it, I decided to leave it to them.
As far as I was concerned, as long as it meant I wouldn't have to go blinding anyone, I had no problem with that.
"I didn't mean I wanted to eat her or anything like that..."
When I tried to protest, the Second and Third Generations...
"Oh? Then what kind of feelings was it?"
'You want me to tell you how I felt, don't you?'
''Come on, say it, Lyle!!''
"You guys are the worst! If you realized it, you should have stopped it! No, you should have stopped it, Grandpa! No, just Grandpa!"
When I looked at the Seventh Generation, he was covering his mouth and pounding the table.
He was apparently hitting some kind of spot, but watching it just made me more irritated.
However, since my own actions had caused this situation, I couldn't really say anything.
The Fifth Generation, with a sigh, finally stopped the proceedings.
(Also, hasn't a lot of time passed? These guys have been tormenting me for two hours...)
I was thinking they should have stopped sooner, but I turned to face the Fifth Generation.
'Are you done? Well, you can decide on the Best Lyle Award or whatever you want, but first, that Automaton.'
Right.
That foul-mouthed maid-type Automaton I kissed and registered as my master.
She was currently in Damian's lab, being questioned and investigated.
The worst part was that Damian had decided to treat our conversations as official records, meticulously documenting every word.
That bastard Damian... he was ranting that he would relay our conversations word for word at academic papers and research presentations.
In my high-tension state, I had agreed to it.
Now, it was surely all compiled into documentation.
(There's no way my excuse of "It wasn't me yesterday" would ever work, is there?)
The number of students and professors who had gathered in the lab was enormous.
For someone like Damian, it probably just meant an increase in research funding, but when you thought about it, it was a major discovery.
I had been taking the fact that an ancient Automaton had awakened far too lightly.
Damian Baal… a pervert, but undeniably a genius.
"Well, it's not good to rely on Novem all the time, so if you think of it as having gained an extra helper, there's no real problem. The real issue is how to sustain it."
I had asked Damian about it, and he said it was basically maintenance-free.
But that word "basically" was what bothered me.
Then the Seventh Generation, his expression turning serious again, spoke to me.
*(You're slow, old man.)*
"Truth is, Lyael… it seems your mana is being siphoned off by something other than us. On top of the mana you stockpile for the First Generation's Skill, Full Burst, a whole new line has been formed."
"A new line?"
I tilted my head at the revelation that my mana was being drained.
I hadn't felt a thing.
The Second Generation spoke up.
"Your mana reserves have grown, so it's probably fine for now… but this thing keeps drawing a constant amount. That means an increased burden on you. So, after a lot of deliberation on our end—"
The Third Generation picked up the explanation.
"We reached the conclusion that the sharp-tongued maid is suspicious! Man, Lyael, having your mana drained from the side that's gaining more—there's a certain talent to that, isn't there?"
The Sixth Generation agreed.
"You'll be able to cast more spells than before, but if you overdo it, you'll run dry in no time."
The Fourth Generation summed it up.
"Whether it's a constant drain or it comes in waves… either way, things are going to be tough going forward."
It seemed I had ended up with one hell of a sharp-tongued maid on my hands.
So I'm supposed to spend the magic power I just painstakingly gained looking after that Automaton?
(No wait — having it look after me? With that thing?)
Whether it would actually do any real work was dubious enough, but the bigger problem was it siphoning away my magic power.
I'd been planning to fight using every spell at my disposal, so this threw a wrench in everything.
"You're saying I have to keep fighting the same way I have been for the time being? After going through that embarrassing growth spurt, I can't even get the restriction on my magic lifted…"
As I mumbled in dejection, the Fifth Generation spoke up.
"Ah, and while I'm at it, Laiel — you're banned from using Skills for a while."
"Huh?"
I looked up and met the Fifth Generation's gaze.
There was no hint of a joke in their expression.
Then the Sixth Generation continued.
"Your Skill [Experience] is always-on, so there's nothing we can do about that one, but all other Skills are completely off-limits."
"Wait, hold on…"
The Seventh Generation nodded in agreement.
"We'll be imposing the restriction from our end. You really won't be able to use any Skills for a while, so plan accordingly. Oh, and that includes the First Generation's Skill. That greatsword of yours…"
The Second Generation added.
"The greatsword is banned too. For a while, you'll have to get by as an adventurer using nothing but your own strength."
"Uh, um, I don't understand what's going on…"
While I stood there, completely lost, the Third Generation came forward with a smile.
It was the condition for me to be able to use Skills again.
"Defeat the boss of the thirtieth basement floor and make it back to the Guild... if you can pull that off, we'll let Lyle use Skills again. Oh, and don't worry — we'll give you advice, so relax."
I swallowed the words "I'd rather use Skills than get your advice" and looked at everyone.
Every single one of them wore a serious expression.
The Fourth Generation explained.
"As things stand, Lyle clearly possesses strength that surpasses top-tier adventurers through the use of Skills. Enough to conquer the fortieth basement floor of the Dungeon with just six people, no less."
The floor that normally required a fifty-person party to barely clear — we had conquered it with just six.
"And that's a problem?" I asked.
The Seventh Generation spoke.
"Using Skills isn't an issue. There's nothing wrong with utilizing the talent you have. But if this continues..."
The Second Generation turned to me.
"Your fundamental strength won't grow at all. Not the kind of growth you experienced this time — real, meaningful growth. Whenever something comes up, you'll lean on Skills. And then one day you'll burn through your mana, or growth will stall and Lyle will be forced to leave the front lines. What happens then?"
I could picture it easily enough.
The moment I couldn't move, the whole party would be paralyzed.
In the worst case, total annihilation awaited.
A party that depended entirely on my Skills faced that level of danger simply because I wasn't there.
The Third Generation chimed in.
"Using Skills is fine. But relying on them this much is bound to cause problems eventually. You'll start taking on commissions beyond your real ability, and you'll run into more and more trouble. Before that happens, I think it's time for Lyle, Novem, and Aria to hone themselves."
Just moments ago, my ancestors had been teasing me — and all along, they'd been genuinely thinking about my well-being.
*(So this is what Damian was talking about.)*
I nodded and swore an oath to conquer the thirtieth basement floor without using Skills.
Up until now, use of Skills was limited to only myself.
And the Third Generation—.
"Now then, the main business is done, but what comes next is the important part... The Best Lyle Award goes to 'A Kiss for Sleeping Beauty!' Any objections?"
That's what the Second Generation said.
"I object! You're forgetting the whole sequence from 'I love you' to completely ignoring her!"
That was the Fourth Generation.
"It's all incredibly hard to rank, but I think Sleeping Beauty still takes it."
The Fifth Generation—.
"The impact was huge too. It'd be tough to top that one."
The Sixth Generation....
"Don't forget about the sliding tackle followed by getting his hand bitten by a bug — I won't stand for that being overlooked!"
You damn old man....
"As expected of the Kirin of House Walt... to make us agonize this much!"
Everyone—.
"We're all looking forward to seeing how the Kirin of House Walt keeps growing!!"
They said it with grinning faces.
"The meaning of 'looking forward' is completely different here!!"
I screamed, and I'm absolutely certain I wasn't in the wrong.
—Late at night.
Freed from the Jewel, I stepped out into the garden, sat down on a bench, and gazed up at the night sky.
When I drank water in the kitchen, my reflection in the mirror looked utterly haggard.
"To think they'd push me this far... damn it."
The past I wanted to forget had become an important document for the academy.
I'd thought countless times I was falling for myself, but why did I end up with such feelings?
No matter how much I thought about it, no answer came.
"I wish I could go back to the past."
As those words left my lips, Novem approached and sat beside me on the bench.
"What's wrong, Master Lyle? Can't you sleep?"
Novem looked worried, still in her nightgown.
I thought she was cute, but at the same time, I remembered kissing that sharp-tongued maid.
My first kiss should have been with Novem.
"Oh, I just want to vanish..."
"Ahh, about today's events? It can't be helped. Anyone would get carried away. It just showed on you particularly strongly, Master Lyle."
Even if she comforted me, it didn't change the fact that I'd lost my first kiss.
"I can never get it back..."
"Huh?"
"My first kiss can never come back! I want to punch my past self!"
Hearing that, Novem made a troubled expression.
I might be the only one who could make Novem look so troubled? That thought only made me feel worse.
"Can't it be a no-count? I mean, I heard it was with an automaton."
"It's way too human-like. That's why I can't think of it that way, and those sharp words of hers would absolutely break my spirit. If she hadn't been in that kind of mood, my spirit would've been completely crushed for sure."
Even remembering it was terrifying—that ancient automaton.
Why did the ancient people create such a terrifying maid?
(Were there perverts even worse than Damian back in ancient times? …I'd rather not think about it.)
"And besides, I can't use my Skills for a while. Stuff happened, and honestly, my spirit's about to break."
When I said that, Novem, who was sitting beside me, took my hand.
She looked up at the sky and spoke.
"May I ask why you can't use your Skills?"
"Huh? Oh, well… if things stay like this, I'm done for, and I want to be able to at least beat the thirtieth-floor boss on my own strength at least once."
I couldn't exactly say something like "Ancestor told me I'm not allowed to."
What if Novem got worried and tied me to bed, thinking I was sick, and nursed me back to health… would that be so bad?
No, no good. I need to become the breadwinner, live quietly with Novem… if I could manage that, it'd be nice.
Seeing me looking so down, Novem spoke up.
"Just a little—"
"Hm?"
"Just a little, I felt jealous. When I heard that Laiel-sama's first kiss was stolen by an automaton… is that strange?"
Hearing that, I stood up and grabbed Novem by both shoulders.
"Th-that's not strange at all! I'm happy! I'm happy, Novem!"
"R-really?"
Seeing me get so excited, Novem looked confused.
I told myself that the fact Novem got jealous must mean she had feelings for me.
It was fine... I hadn't been completely written off by Novem yet, right?
"I... want to kiss Novem."
When I said that, Novem's cheeks flushed red.
Then she quietly closed her eyes, tilted her chin up just slightly, and positioned herself to make the kiss easy.
My heart was pounding like crazy with excitement.
Under the beautiful moonlit sky, I was about to kiss Novem—
*'This makes me so happy, Novem!'*
*'My heart is breaking~'*
*'My first kiss... it's never coming back!!'*
*'...Pfft'*
*'If only we could go back in time... but that was impressive, wasn't it?'*
*'That level of skill in his natural state... he's terrifyingly gifted, Laiel.'*
"Shut up, you guys!!!"
Later on, my ancestors—who had turned that moment into their favorite material for teasing me—absolutely shredded what remained of my sanity.
What was I going to do... I was starting to want to throw the Jewel away.