Chapter 8 - Experiencing Futuristic Black Tech

 

Under his nagging, Anna starts to explain other things that related directly to Air Gear.

From her speech, he could infer many things...

There is three main Faculty in the Nexus Institute of Mech.

Mechanics Faculty for those who mainly desire to become a mecha front repairer.

Technics Faculty for those who strongly had the "brainpower" to design their own mecha or spaceship blueprint and assemble them, there are many who had the will but not the energy.

Specialist Faculty that has the most variety of classes, like the most favorite one Heavy Mecha Driver, Mobile Mecha User, Spacecraft Navigator, and much more specialized classes.

Mechanics and Technics students often would be at odds because of their preference in the way of mecha.

Mechanics would always demand a new model partition, while the Technician's answer was "its on production phase" or "next time, definitely". This is why they were called "a bunch of procrastinator technicians".

On the other day, Technics students would call Mechanics to repair the mech tester, they would come on an argument that makes Technicians call them "a bunch of mecha otakus only know how to touch mech".

Even so, they could only yield their pride when one of the most awaited events of the Year arrived. The Shooting Star Tournament needs a Team, not just an otaku or procrastinator. So, they would often make a monthly exchange be it for the right to use the main Workshop and Tester Area or loaning a bunch of otakus and procrastinators directly.

This is an event of world scale. The main challenger would be from the two faculty, but the winner is always the Specialist faculty in the past few years.

This year Shooting Star has a slight change in format because the Federation Meteor Cup and Hermes GrandPrix would be held in two years.

Hermes GrandPrix is already a yearly event that would be held by every region. But two years later the Earth Federation would be the one to hold the banquet as the only sponsor with two Categories as the feature. Air Gear User as the commonly broadcasted before and the new category Heavy Mecha Driver.

Well, that aside for Hermes GP. 

As the most awaited event on Earth still Shooting Star.

The Team was formed by five players with their own posts.

The Game between two Teams on the field that is only around twice the soccer ball field, within two rounds and a total of two-hour play.

The Target is to shoot a goal onto a designated area in two corners.

The Field is enclosed with a transparent wall as the 'ceiling space' is still within the game field, there are special games that have special maps.

The Player has different posts like Goal Keeper, Base Guard, Mid Runner or Front Runner, and Ace Shooter.

The Shooting Star was a ball with a special material with high gravity resistance that could garner a flaming effect.

The origin of this game was military training that focused on team coordination and land guerilla tactics.

So, the Shooting Star and Meteor Cup are always given high attention from leaders of the Federation and also common people who had little to no entertainment life.

Well, that is the legal event and tournaments. Even though, there would be a fierce battle that incurs fatal injury even death. For the so-called aristocrats—without a title as there only twelve noble, and those bigshots from big space enterprise. That is just mild entertainment.

They prefer something more bloody and hardcore, like in the Ancient Colosseum where Gladiator killed giant beast brutally or even where Gladiator kills each other.

That is their nature. It is also why there would be many Black Market that got their protection or even directly backed by them. This is entertainment that has already been ingrained in their mind for generations. It's the very reason why the entertainment industry couldn't raise up.

In their common sense, real entertainment was to watch a killing, to battle, to war.

Even some Opera Theater only opened as an appreciation of ancient art, not entertainment.

Ren could feel the darkness of this world, he shook his head as he entered the Mechanics Workshop. 

In here, He sees many kinds of Mechs, there is a Heavy Mecha, Mobile Mecha even two small carriage spacecraft. He sees a lot of students working their asses like a madman. Some scold the other, some even haven't slept well. Look at their black circled eyes, they should stay up for three days at least.

This is just one day before the opening ceremony for a new semester.

"What are you looking at? Come here, hurry up!"

Anna called him while showing a direction in the deeper hall on a lonely door in the corridor.

There is a room, it arent that big, only about one classroom for middle school. It is rather small, he thought.

"It's not too small just right for reparation of small partition. Welcome to Lite's Workshop, little brother!"

As if reading his mind a high pitch voice of a girl greets him.

"Oh Lite, look at you. How could my brother belittle your workshop..."

Ren looks at her small figure, it gives him a bit of shock. 

Seeing his shock, Anna begins introducing them. "Lite, this is my little brother. His name is Alfred, he would be entering the new specialist class this year. Al... she is my friend, Lite. Like me, she was in her sixth year. We met a few years ago and we become friends since then. Well, her circumstances are a bit special, let her tell you directly..." she didn't tell in detail how they meet who she is really, it is just from her tone they seem quite close.

He observes her the same like how she observed him. It is quite rude, but since the other party did so, then he thinks there is no problem.

Her figure isn't much different from girls her age, at least she is taller than Anna and she had a child-like face. What made him shocked was her pointed ears. Right! It was a long and pointed ear. 

This... Is she really that legendary race with a long lifespan, Elves?

But, why did her figure is small, Aren't they known to be a taller race than humans.

He snapped when his sister Anna nudged him. 

"Ah... Sorry, It is a bit rude of me. It quite unusual to see people with..." he points at his ear, "Well, let me introduce myself formally. My name is Alfred Pendragon, I am twelve this year. Also, I am not trying to discriminate or strangely look at you, I just felt it was amazing to see someone like you..."

"Okay, okay... You don't need to explain anything. Don't worry, I am not that petty. Besides, you are her 'brother', so I have to take care of you."

She took out her right hand, "My name is Lite Hephaestus. Nice to meet you..."

Ren understood as he took her hand, they handshakes harmoniously.

By the side, Anna suddenly interrupts them with her words.

"Lite, you... Are you alright to tell my brother about your name?"

He released her hands and ask in confusion, "What happens? Is there something wrong with her name?"

"Brother, I think you should remember what our name is and what her name... You should understand the implication of it."

"My name... My name, Alfred Pendragon, and her name is Lite Hephaestus. There is no problem here... Wait! Hephaestus? Hephaestus House?" 

Isn't that the most renowned name in arms technology. They are the number one distributor of weapons, be it for the military or for the mercenaries.

They... also one of twelve noble!

"You, you..."

Lite laughs out a lot when looking at his strange expression. It looks so hilarious.

"Haha... Come on. You just realize it after Anna reminds you. How slow is your brain working?"

"Lite... Are you okay telling him?" 

Even a 'brocon' like Anna still worried about this matter and carefully avoided introducing her family name. There should be something dark hidden behind this problem.

"Don't worry, just call me Lite. Um, Miss Lite would do. Or you could call me by my mother's maiden name, Helmshade."

Ren nodded his head, there is a brief silence in the room. He didn't ask nor did they talk about it, so they put the topic off.

She suddenly breaks the quiet while pointing at her new toys.

"Hey, why don't we see your new Air Boots? It was quite hard to assemble those small things on the shoe sole, you know?"

Ren has been looking up this gadget for the longest. He couldn't wait for this anymore.

Above the table display. It was a high shoe with a thick sole. It is mainly bluish chrome-colored, while a few black strip lines make the design looks more stylish. On the sole, it was mainly metal material and some high durability and resistance rubber.

He took off his shoes and put on the newly made Air Boots.

"Looks great 'right? I especially named it [Aquastep]..."

But she only saw his playful expression like a kid given his dreamed toy.

Lite smiled at this, and added, "How about we test it for real?"

Ren excitedly looked at Anna.

"Okay, we can go to Testing Arena. There should be a vacant place for you."

"Great!"

....

"Right you just need to knock the outsole to the ground, the gear would automatically transform."

Knock!

Kachink, kachakka...

A smooth mechanical voice comes out with two small wheeled gear.

He did the same with the left side. The same reaction sounded and he still appreciated it wholeheartedly. This is Man's romance! Sighed himself.

After he managed to stabilize himself, Ren unconsciously took that famous trick stance for Devil's Thirty-Three. He pushed the sole and the gear started to swing violently. He felt there is a BGM behind him as he was ready to fly...

Not far beside him, both girls had a strange expression like seeing a ghost.

"Is this really his first try?"

"Yeah..."

"Did you know what he trying to do? How do I feel like he would be trying to seek a death..."