Location: Academy Council.
Time: Evening.

A number of professors and teachers and three leaders of factions are present.

Lotte Arkwright wearing orange cloth while bearing the symbol of a cogwheel emblem.
Arsel Lemintine of the Red cloth with the emblem of a beast.
Pattie Witley of the Blue cloth with the emblem of a blue sphere emblem with intricate design.

All three were sitting in a triangular position as each had a group of people behind them composed of their respective teachers and professors.

The first to speak was a man wearing a red color jacket and a fierce expression.

"You have a lot of nerve, Miss Arkwright.
Never did I expect for you two greedily steal away the two young rising stars of this school."

Lotte simply giggled and shrugged.

"Steal them?
Whatever do you mean, Mr. Lemintine"

He retorted in annoyance.

"Don't play dumb!
Those two children you recently hired under your wing!
That had shown unknown magic and skillful swordsmanship!

How dare you suddenly claim them under your wing!
While pretending not to care! " He angrily said.

A woman who wore the color of blue with a spherical emblem carrying a youthful and beautiful appearance then said in a frown.

"Indeed, We were eyeing on them to join ours as well..."

Lotte grinned and said.

"Ho, Miss Witley actually wants them?
I was so sure your group comprised of nobles was completely against that decision.

If you wanted them, then shouldn't you have the opportunity to claim them during their enrollment. There were a lot of rumors about them from their first school causing pandemonium there, you know?"

Her face twitches a bit as she bit her lips then replies.

"Indeed, but things have completely changed.
Now that those children had shown great ability in their set of talents."

She then took a pause then bitterly said.

"And to begin with..." she then pointed at Lotte.

"Weren't you completely biased about recruiting those children in the first place?
What kind of trickery did you use to suddenly gain their attention!
When they barely even listen to the other students!?"

Lotte then retorts with a wide smile.

"Oh my, so you were observing them.
How interesting...

Indeed, I was biased.
Truthfully the idea of a 9-year-old,
Completely shielding the three siblings from an artillery attack that even the PSG could not handle.
Was something completely outside of logic.

Surely everyone here was skeptical about it."

The two paused as the council went silent.

"Originally I gave you two opportunities to recruit them you know?
I was completely skeptical about their existence that I didn't even send someone to bother recruiting them!"

Witley then said in a complaint.
"Then why recruit them before we could even have the chance to do so!?"

She showed an easy-going expression and said.
"That's a fine good question.
However...

3 days ago, a young youth was completely lost in my workshop.
She was bothering one of my students who was working earnestly.

But then said something peculiar to me...
"I was curious about these machines and came to take a look."
When I discovered that child's emblem, I simply put that child to the test.

Should she be able to use one of my Arcane Machines...
Then the rumors about them are undoubtedly true.
Should she fail then I would have simply need to be more suspicious of her family.

A child being able to use spells is unfathomable.
Only a person who carries a deep understanding of magic can move an Arcane machine."

She said with a serious expression.
Then asked with a smile.

"Do you all wish to know the result of that test?"

The two leaders had a very troubled expression every professor was intently gazing and sweating waiting for her answer.

Lotte simply pulled out a piece of paper with a written report of Talie's Test.

"Age 12.
Name: Talie Blackrose

Arcane Sphere Core - nominal.
Vision Transference - nominal.
Limbic Control Center -  Nominal.
All Control ready.

ARK Prototype 3 ready for use..." as she finished her words she dropped the paper.
With a gleeful smile.

Everyone paled...
Lemintine then shouted.

"You're telling us a 12-year-old managed to activate that machine!?"

Large mumbling suddenly rose and others began to feel a bit heavy.

Lotte simply grinned and said.
"It's extremely rare to find a sorcerer compatible with our latest design.
This made it difficult to sell Arcane Machines.

because not everyone can actually use the damnable hunk of metal."

"However, the moment I laid my eye on that child moving that machine.
I was completely baffled myself that it made me smile with joy.
To be honest I was thinking of scrapping that thing since its maintenance was eating my budget.

But now I have a pretty neat asset I can work with...
Thanks to you two being hesitant and slow in your attempt to recruit them.

Oh and more final detail about that child.

Talie Blackrose is the child who protected her siblings 3 years ago.
It wasn't a complete lie when I asked her myself and requested her to take a similar explosion using her magic.

It was impressive...
A dark shell that can melt away projectiles, such a shame it's not capable of being used in ark-seals.
She also said its weakness is only during mornings due to its innate dark element.

Did I mention the fact that her sister is also capable of using it too!?"

Lotte Arkwright mercilessly boasted.

At that point, Pattie Witley fainted.
"My Lady!"
One of her subordinates cried out as she rushed to her in worry as they moved her away.

But the man in the red jacket then said.
"Lotte, you are aware your family is also under suspicion.
Your daughter wasn't present in that event you know!"

*Puchi* a bulge came out of her head as she soon expressed her anger.
She pushed her glasses and showed an intellectual gesture towards him.

"ARSEL!?" she shouted his first name as he flinched.  

"You-uuuu HAVE ALOT OF NERVE!
Bringing the past up!

How dare you bring my daughter's name here!
You are aware of what misery my child went through in those foolish noble meetings.
That my own daughter never left her room for months!

Not to mention the fact that it turned her social life into a complete mess.
That she developed social anxiety towards the other students,
To the extent I struggled to put her under my workshop.
In order to return her sense of normalcy towards people."

She then smiled widely at him with a really angry expression.
But then took a long and deep breath.

"But I had to thank you, as well for your cursed children's prank on her.
Thanks to that incident.
Not only that she came to love machines at our home.
Her focus in that knowledge in it also blossomed quite well.

That I am quite glad that she missed his majesties celebration.
For what I recall your children merely suffered a few scar's and injuries back there?"

His face went beet red in frustration while grinding his teeth as he deeply gazed at her.

"I have heard, enough."

A large screen soon opened in the center of the three.
It was the Academy Head.

"It's clear as day that this meeting was merely an unnecessary complaint.
Miss Arkwright, two children under your care came directly to join you.

Correct? " he asked with a sharp gaze.

She bowed and said. "Of course."

But Lementine soon cried out.

"But...
It's a complete waste of their talent if they follow her studies!
Their potential to use magic and combat capabilities can blossom even further!
Those two children surely have the potential to make a name for themselves if they are left under our care!"

Arkwright's face was twitching as he said that.
She soon retorted in an aggressive informal tone while raising her foot on the table while clutching her fist at him.

"Huh? Are you saying that...
 My studies don't produce my students into aspiring people!

HUH? IS THAT IT!"

"I'll let you have a taste of my student's latest invention!"

Her subordinates swiftly acted to stop her as she tried to pull out a weapon from her pockets.
It was a circular object that appears to be a grenade.

They all tug on her to pull her back as chaos occurs as Lemintine was hiding and peeking under his desk while leering at her.

The academy head deeply sighed.
His face and figure are completely hidden by the screen in a black silhouette but even that didn't hide his dismay at the scene he was looking at...

"Enough!, Stop acting like a bunch of children!" he cried out.

"Sheesh."

Then said.
"Since those children came to Miss Arkwright on their own.
There's no problem or issue here.

Surely those children can become aspiring alchemists in the future."

Lemintine retorts.

"Al-alchemist!?
What a waste of capability!
We need people who can act!"

The academy head then retorts by saying.

"Or Aspiring Pilots of the giant metals known as Arcane Machines."

His mouth then shut tightly as he then said that.

"Unless the two children themselves chose to leave her side.
None of you have the authority to take them away from her as they are already registered to Arkwright's wing."

Miss Lotte was showing a dignified smile as she boasted herself to them while Lemintine could simply show a distorted expression on his face displeased with that fact.

She then said.
"You know what they say...
The early bird catches the worm.

 Those children are now under my care whether you liked it or not.
The young youth known as Baster has yet to show his talent.
But after observing his class records.

He has quite a potential as well.
Though, he doesn't show the same talent as his two sisters.
But I will leave it for you to decide that,
Though, of course, he can also refuse and join mine as well.

Oho-ho-ho-ho-ho..." She cheerfully said then laughed at him.

Lotte stood and left as the professors were left dazed by her words.

The large screen showed him deeply sighing again then the head signed off.

With the sound of a*Beep*.

It was the end of the academy council meeting of the professors their purpose was to discuss the new two students who had shown promise in their first few days. Their popularity amongst the professor skyrocketed when records of their fights swiftly spread towards the faction leaders of the academia.

The first who had shown a cheerful expression was Arkwright.
When she saw how capable Talie and her sister were...
She swiftly made her move on her family and secured Talie for her own use.

She never once expected for her sister to come and be gauded to join her as well.
This was like a great catch as she reeled the second one in...

She then said to her assistant with a cheerful expression.
"Do you know the funny thing about this?
I didn't even, intentionally do this!
Ahahahaha!"

The assistant retorts with a wry smile.
"Miss Arkwright, please control yourself..."

It was undoubtedly a good day for her.

________________________________________________________________________________

Baster's Pov:

Not only good at magic.
But also can also befriend giant beasts that should naturally eat people!?

I'm not sure what the academy will do to a student like her.
But I just hope it won't drag her into strange circumstances.

Meanwhile...
Talie didn't particularly explain everything to us.

Probably because it's related to her past-life as a dragon.
But why exactly is she feared by lesser monsters but beloved by larger ones now that she was human?

Was the question that troubled me the most.
Talie herself who was with her was being attacked by them.

Is there something different between them that caused such a difference?

Though, watching her getting slobbered by that large beast did get stuck in my head.

I dove into the hot water to get rid of "that"  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) .
The image inside my mind.

It was completely unexpected.
I expected her to use some ridiculous cheat magic again.

But this time...
It's still a cheat...
Isn't it?

*Sound of a droplet of water.*

Just like the girls he was now using the Male's Bathhouse.

Although, If I was in her position,
It's nothing strange to be terrified and panic.
It's like being tasted before getting bitten by its tremendously large fangs.

Thankfully it stopped as she finally gave up and started petting it as the beast then started cuddling purring and cuddling her as if it was her pet.

Her troubled and pale expression was written on her face during the whole scenario.
Fenris and Talie laughed at her while Milim and I were showing a wry smile.
Nelly was observing and writing in a notepad with great vigor.

It appears she took an interest in Tori's ability to befriend them.
Unfortunately, I need to leave before the rest of the class start swarming in here.
Surprisingly, we finished earlier than the other classes.

Though, I soon realized that mistake.

The moment I left the baths and wore normal clothing which we had already prepared.
New's and emergency robots started flooding the gates.

It appears we aren't the only ones who had that circumstance.

(*For what I recall, this was an event in the story.
Though, I didn't expect it to flow the same path as in the game.
This is supposedly, merely the tutorial of combat in the story.

To Encounter your first defeat was the purpose of this accident.
However, surviving for 5 turns in-game but 5minutes in real life.

"heh, it sure is quite interesting."

But even though I knew it was coming, I didn't expect it to happen while Tori was alone.

How do I know all this?
The side character and NPC simply pointed out that this whole thing was a set-up.
The teacher, professor, and mechanic have already prepared this accident as a whole to give nobles children a sense of Urgency and powerlessness.

Showing them that their ignorance and pride won't save them if something dangerous like this occurred in their lives.

To be honest, this was a very cruel and unreasonable thing to do.
But it is also extremely ruthless and clever as well.
This way the student mature faster being able to understand the danger of the world around them.
This knowledge is kept on the need to know basis by the parents of the academy as well.*)

But the real reason why I left early was simply that.
(*I didn't want to get stuck with the boys in a bathroom with no Watchers around.*)

Watchers are floating golems that records and watches over a student.
They send out academy squad to swiftly disperse and capture those who break academy rules.

And they freaking act fast when a fight breaks out.

This is why the academy bullying only occurs in isolated places like the baths.

So I ditched that place as quickly as I washed in it in a rush...

*Such a shame I couldn't enjoy the giant bath they have.*

Now then...
What am I doing now?

Well, let's just say the first event of the otome game scenario is actually happening while I just eavesdrop from the corner.

A weak-looking young lad is currently being bullied.
This young lad is apparently one of the Otome characters.

He wore glasses and had an intellectual expression.
One glance and he looks geeky, but don't let that trick you.
Once removed as otome games are, they are usually very attractive.

But there's one problem.
His personality is a sharp tongue boy who talks too much.

I wonder which of the protagonist will come out first?
Originally the female character is suppose to show up.

He then responded to them in a wicked tone.

"If you guys have half the brain,
Then this incident could have been avoided.

Because your friends dilly dallied their asses got roasted by that monster."

"You bastard!"

He was soon punched that pushed his head towards a nearby wall.

Knocking him out.

Normally one of the watchers would have acted by now.
But right now, these students aren't really worth their attention due to their clean records.

Then the two students mumbled.

"Oi, he isn't moving."

He then had a wicked idea.

"How about we bring him somewhere safe and show him whose boss.
Someone really need to teach his tongue a lesson."

Of course, his partner was showing a troubled expression but after gazing at him sleeping on the ground he soon felt anger.

He nods to his idea and prepared to carry him.

[Originally, the protagonist should have shown up by now...
Where the FUCK ARE THEY!?]

(Meanwhile:
Fenris is currently practicing for the next classes afraid of making a fool of himself again.
Milim is currently stuck with Nelly as they walk to return to their workshop. )

While I am glad that the story of this game is going the same route as the game with a bit of differences.

This nerdy asshole is still one of the key characters of the story.
He may have deserved this...
But its quite wrong to just leave it be like this.

 [Dammit why do I need to be the one to deal with this mess!
I prefer a cute girl with a sharp tongue you know!?]

He then recalled Talie.

[Scratch that!
Make it a nerdy girl with glasses with a sharp tongue instead.
But I had to deal with a boy instead!

I just hope...
I won't turn gay because of this.]

He deeply sighed and readied his ark-seals.