Chapter 11
Academy Science and Technology Building, Room 112B Laboratory.
It was a space temporarily borrowed to evaluate the scholarship students sponsored by the Stingray family.
After sending Miyu to Room 112A next door, where the evaluations were being held, I arrived at the location guided by the bodyguards.
What awaited me there was the nagging of a man I was seeing for the first time.
"Brother! How could you handle things like this, huh?!"
A man rushed at me, angrily raising his voice.
I was a little taken aback, but with the word “brother” and Aaron’s remaining memories in me, I realized he was my younger brother… ‘Benedict Stingray.’
Like me, Benedict had black hair and golden eyes.
There weren’t any specific descriptions in the novel, but apparently, black hair and golden eyes were a Stingray family trait.
‘But this guy’s pretty handsome too.’
Truly blessed genes.
Well, I guess that’s only natural.
As I was indulging in that idle thought, Benedict, perhaps thinking I was ignoring him, raised his voice even more.
"At least say something!"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I mean the announcement you just sent to the students!"
"So what about it?"
A curt reply.
Benedict flinched for a moment.
It was the same as with Maria.
Benedict, too, didn’t show it outwardly, but he seemed to be inwardly afraid of me.
It’s not like I even said it coldly.
"I-If you send out such an announcement email without consulting me, my position becomes…!"
"Awkward? Why?"
Those first-year scholarship students I ran into earlier in the hallway.
They bumped into Miyu first and didn’t even apologize, which pissed me off and made me act.
I directly gave instructions using the contact info I got from Maria for the person in charge.
And of course, I had not even the slightest regret.
If anything, I wanted to promote the person in charge for handling it so swiftly.
"It’s my original authority. You’re just a ‘proxy,’ nothing more. So what’s the problem?"
Some extra dares to touch my favorite character?
And beyond that, Miyu is my lifesaver.
The fact I didn’t just behead that boy—what was his name, ‘Sing’?—right on the spot was already showing immense restraint.
Benedict tried to control his expression even as he fumed at my cold response.
He must’ve been trained for this in some way.
"…Understood. Since you put it that way, I won’t bring up that matter again. But don’t forget the promise."
"I know."
The Stingray Scholarship Off-Semester Re-Evaluation.
Publicly, it had been dressed up with a name like that, but in truth, it was a bet between the Stingray brothers for the position of chairman.
The 17 scholarship students selected by Benedict last year, and Miyu, whom I had brought.
They would compete in terms of skill, and if even one of the first-years showed greater ability than Miyu, I would formally hand over the chairman seat to Benedict.
It had somehow turned into a Pok*mon battle using students… but they didn’t know, so it probably didn’t matter.
"You seem pretty confident. That girl you brought, is that her?"
Benedict shifted his gaze slightly.
Through the glass of Room 112B’s lab, the interior of Room 112A could be observed.
Inside, the first-year students from the Technology Department and Miyu were preparing for the upcoming evaluation.
A lab with a futuristic design straight out of a sci-fi movie.
On the wide tables aligned in two rows were computers and tools for conducting the test.
The first-year students were gathered in small groups, checking the condition of the equipment.
And in one corner, in a spot that didn’t stand out much, Miyu was…
‘Wait, what’s up with her?’
She was completely frozen.
To someone who didn’t know, it might just look like she was zoning out, but I could tell something was off.
That was because Miyu wasn’t the type to just stand still in front of cutting-edge tech.
If anything, she’d be running around in excitement, unable to contain herself.
"…Brother?"
"I’ll have a quick word with her."
"What do you mean…?!"
Ignoring Benedict, I entered Room 112A.
When I approached Miyu, making my presence known, she turned her head belatedly after noticing me.
‘Just as I thought.’
Miyu’s complexion had turned pale.
I didn’t even need to ask what had happened while I was away for a short time.
"A-Aaron…"
"Looks like you want to go home."
"What?! N-No! T-That’s not…!"
Her breathing was erratic.
Miyu was terrible at lying.
I had forcibly brought out someone who had lived as a shut-in for nearly ten years.
Earlier, I had hoped she’d get more comfortable as we strolled around the Academy together, but that alone clearly wasn’t enough.
And on top of that—
"What did those little brats say to you?"
“N-No, it’s not that… I just…!”
“Don’t lie to me.”
She must’ve overheard the first-years whispering to each other while I was talking with Benedict.
Her old traumas must have been triggered.
This isn’t something that can be solved by just comforting her.
I need to be a bit firmer.
Hoo.
I let out a short sigh and replied.
“If you want to go back, I’ll let you. I’ll call a car.”
“T-There’s no need for that…!”
“Then will you stay and take the evaluation? Do you think you can show your full ability in that state?”
“……”
Miyu didn’t answer.
Truthfully, she probably wanted to go back.
“I won’t force you. Let’s return. Instead, we’ll cancel the promise for that Neo Arm… whatever.”
“Ah! ‘Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong 4 Multipurpose Tool’!”
Miyu’s expression brightened instantly.
In the original work, it was a joke the author threw in for laughs, but hearing it in person, it was hard not to chuckle every time the name came up.
That mysterious object, whose name has Armstrong twice for some reason, is a legendary multipurpose tool said to be somewhere in New Valhalla City.
And it was established that Miyu always desperately wanted it.
As compensation for dragging her to the Academy today, I used Stingray’s intel network to promise I’d get it for her.
Since I couldn’t always force her to do everything, I had to dangle a carrot sometimes.
“H-Hmph. Anyway, if it’s really too hard for you, let’s just head back today. Forcing it would only disgrace me, the one who recommended you.”
“A-Aaron…”
“So give up on that Neo whatever. If it’s really that great, it’s too much for you right now.”
“T-That’s not true!”
In that moment, Miyu’s aura changed.
It was the face of someone who had made up their mind.
“I-I can’t give up on something that cute! I’ll prove myself! Please believe in me!”
“R-Right…”
I was overwhelmed by her sudden burst of energy.
For reference, to Miyu, ‘cuteness = performance.’
She had the mindset of a mobile anime girl gacha gamer.
“……”
The so-called sub-heroine was burning with resolve—something that should only appear in the story’s climax—for a ridiculous tool like that.
I felt slightly miserable.
“If you’re determined, then do your best.”
“Yes!”
It was the most passionate voice I had heard from her since we first met.
As expected, I felt just a little more miserable.
At any rate, after thoroughly boosting Miyu’s morale, I returned to Room 112B.
Benedict looked even more relaxed than before.
‘Did he eavesdrop on my talk with Miyu and gain confidence? No, that might be part of it, but judging from his personality…’
He’s been scheming something.
It was almost a certainty.
‘Considering all the angles, the most likely scenario is…’
The picture formed clearly in my mind.
But I said nothing.
If I wanted to, I could stop the evaluation right here and dig up the foul play, but this time, I decided to let it go.
‘Struggle all you want, Benedict.’
No need to bother.
I figured pretending to be fooled without reacting would leave a much bigger impact.
Truly pathetic.
No matter what you do, the result won’t change.
Absolutely not.
Meanwhile, in Room 112A Laboratory.
While Miyu, having regained her spirit thanks to Aaron, was burning with motivation in a corner of the lab, the other students were busy stealing glances at her.
–She just talked directly with Lord Aaron again, didn’t she?
–Seriously, what is that girl’s deal?
–Isn’t it obvious? Must be a parachute recruit.
–What’s with that mechanical tail?
–Damn it. Looks like we’re gonna lose all our support because of her. What am I supposed to tell my family?
When humans are cornered, they tend to blame others rather than reflect on their own faults.
Even though Sing—the one who caused the issue—was right in front of them, they focused their resentment on the more vulnerable Miyu.
Yet strangely enough—
Sing, ranked number one in the grade, wore a relaxed smile and maintained a leisurely demeanor.
“You guys don’t need to go that far.”
“Huh?”
“If I just get a good score in this evaluation, that should be enough, right? Even if she was brought in by Lord Aaron, it can’t be that special.”
“Well, that’s true…”
His peers tilted their heads at his attitude.
Normally, he’d be the first to gossip about someone else, so why was he suddenly acting nice?
Was he putting on a fake front because of the sponsor?
Or was he genuinely confident he’d score well in the evaluation?
The students harbored such doubts, but of course, neither was correct.
Sing’s true intention was just one.
‘Struggle hard, you trash. Unlike you, I’m someone chosen~’
A few days ago.
Even before the announcement email about this evaluation was sent to the students, Sing was secretly summoned by someone.
The one who called him was none other than Benedict.
Meeting Sing in a secluded place away from prying eyes, Benedict handed him a small data chip.
–Take this.
–W-What is this?
–Soon, there will be a re-evaluation for the first-year Technology Department scholarship students. The data attached will be useful there. Review it in advance.
–Huh?! Why are you only giving this to me…?
–The other students wouldn’t be able to make use of it even if I did. But you’re different. You’re ranked first in your grade, aren’t you?
Sing was deeply moved.
Lord Benedict had recognized his talent.
So much so that he was concerned about losing him through this matter.
–Once you’ve finished studying it, dispose of the data chip secretly. And don’t breathe a word of this to anyone.
–Of course!
Because of this, Sing already knew there would be an evaluation like this.
Naturally, he had thoroughly prepared for it.
‘This is my stage!’
With that confident thought, Sing eagerly awaited the evaluation to begin.
Just then, the announcement started playing.
[Greetings.]
[We will now begin the evaluation for the first-year Technology Department scholarship students, hosted by Stingray.]
[The subject of the evaluation is ‘Arcane Module Creation.’]
Murmur murmur.
The unexpected subject left the students flustered.
Of course, Sing, who already knew the contents, remained calm.
Soon, a massive box prepared at the front of the lab slid open.
Amid the thick fog of liquid nitrogen, a transparent cylindrical case rose up.
Inside the case, a black heart floated in a blue liquid.
[The material for today’s module creation is the heart of a low-grade demon, the ‘Imp.’]
[Candidates must extract essence from the Imp’s heart and produce a module according to the provided conditions.]
Arcane Module.
A module containing the supernatural power of monsters that roam outside the city.
Naturally, it’s harder to make than artificial modules, but it’s far more powerful and special.
The creation process of an arcane module is divided into four major stages.
Essence Extraction.
Analysis.
Redesign.
Printing.
First is Essence Extraction.
You begin by extracting a special substance called ‘Essence’ from the material—a sort of soul of the Arcane.
Next is Analysis.
Once you feed the extracted essence into the analyzer, a computer linked to it completes the analysis and displays the visualized data on screen.
The third and most important step: Redesign.
This is the process of redefining the structure of the essence with the aid of software.
It’s like swapping out parts of a castle built with blocks.
Blocks containing harmful data for the user must be removed or modified, while deficient areas can be filled with different parts.
Finally, Printing.
The redesigned essence is processed along with materials like metal or plastic to form the actual module.
After going through these four steps, an Arcane Module in a usable form for an Adaptee is complete.
It sounds simple in words, but the reality is anything but.
‘One small mistake by the Modular can lead to catastrophic results in arcane module creation.’
Choosing an unsuitable method for the material in any step can cause the essence to break down and lose its form.
Most errors happen during the Redesign stage.
Too much modification can erase the unique powers of the original, or missing dangerous parts can endanger the user.
‘And don’t forget issues like compatibility and substitution rate.’
Focusing only on performance might lead to a module unusable for the user.
In short, unlike artificial modules, arcane modules are akin to a comprehensive art where the Modular’s skill and intuition determine the outcome.
‘Especially with demon materials—it’s the worst.’
Perhaps because they originate as the antithesis of humans.
A demon’s essence possesses powerful energy but also contains deadly, malicious trap codes that are lethal to humans.
There’s also the risk that the Modular could be enchanted by the toxic energy emitted by the essence.
It’s a material that’s quite overwhelming for students who are just now moving up to second-year.
‘Of course, that doesn’t apply to me.’
Naturally, this was Sing’s first time handling demon material too.
But he already had detailed know-how on dealing with Imp essence in his head.
And it was information obtained from the world’s largest nanomachine corporation.
[Evaluation criteria are Stability, Compatibility, Output Level, and Substitution Rate—four total categories.]
[You have 120 minutes for the evaluation.]
In line with the announcement, the Stingray-affiliated proctors began distributing Imp hearts to each candidate.
If any danger occurred during module creation, they would step in.
[Now, you may begin.]
At the signal for the start of the evaluation, the students began moving their hands.
They smoothly put on the protective gloves and goggles they had been given, carefully opened the cylindrical case, and transferred the heart onto the tray with tongs.
They connected the essence extractor to the dedicated syringe and activated the analyzer linked to the computer.
All of them were students who had remained at the top of the Academy for the past year, so even with the unfamiliar material, they calmly proceeded with the task.
Among them, Sing’s pace was notably faster.
While other students were just starting the essence extraction process, he had already drawn out a good amount—about halfway there.
‘Just like the data said…!’
If you just stabbed the syringe randomly, you’d barely get any essence.
The tip was to insert the needle precisely along the vein’s direction.
Thanks to that, he could proceed slightly faster than the others.
At this rate, he’d gather enough essence within five minutes.
‘I’ve got first place in the bag!’
Looking around, the other students were still struggling.
Though they tried jabbing the syringe here and there, it seemed they couldn’t extract essence properly and were having a tough time.
Satisfied with the result, he smiled contentedly and continued the extraction.
It was then.
Tap.
Taptaptap.
Taptaptaptaptap.
The furious sound of keyboard tapping echoed loudly.
It was so noisy, it was irritating.
‘Who the hell is—!’
Annoyed, Sing turned toward the source of the sound, and instantly froze.
There, Miyu was hammering away at the keyboard at an incredible speed.
‘N-No way…!’
It was a time when the other students hadn’t even finished extracting their essence.
Miyu was already on the third step of module creation.
She had begun ‘Redesign.’