Chapter 5: Family Blood


"Amazing. Simply amazing."

To think that this man has built a steam engine. My God, what an achievement. To think he did it alone, as well. Based on what I have been told about the culture of mages here, along with what I have experienced from some of the students, I would say that the professor is but a credit to those who call themselves mages.

"Is it really?" Professor Colbert asks, although I can tell there's a bit of excitement in his voice.

"It is." I say. "I must confess that I'm quite familiar with these kinds of devices."

"Truly?"

"Yes. Why, is that so strange?"

He adjusts his stance to be somewhat more relaxed. "There's a boy that a second year student summoned as a familiar and he's already told me about crazy inventions that come from his homeland, supposedly."

"And these would be…?"

"Flying machines such as 'airplanes'...?" Professor Colbert says, as if unsure of the pronunciation. "He even brought one in for me, which I helped to repair for him. Another called a 'laptop', but he said it was out of power, so it was unusable."

A laptop…? Could it be someone from my time?

"May I know his name?"

"Ah, it's Saito Hiraga. Or was it Hiraga Saito? His name order confused me when he introduced himself. He said to just call him Saito."

Sounds Eastern by nature, but I don't know enough about their names to really make a call on which one is likely his given name. But, I'll ask if I somehow meet him.

"Where is he now?"

Professor Colbert shook his head. "He's off in the war with the student he serves, ah, Louise Valliere."

Valliere again, hm? It seems everything comes back to them. But at the same time, the word 'serves'... Henrietta did mention that making me a familiar would start some kind of brainwashing. I can only pray for that boy's soul now.

"Well, I'll hope for his survival. I'd like to talk with him."

"Indeed."

"Onto a happier topic, I suppose. I'm familiar with this engine of yours and the design is quite sound. While it's small scale now, if you were to expand it, add a few connecting rods, gears, and wheels, you could say, use the force to make a carriage drive itself. Granted, the weight would have to be held, but nothing that good design can't fix."

"A carriage to drive itself… my, I never even thought of that." He says with a bit of a smile. "Oh, I do hope that Saito returns. It would be a privilege to speak with the two of you."

"When you said he was a boy, how old are we talking?"

Professor Colbert shakes his head, sighing. "He couldn't be older than seventeen years."

"Tragic, to say the least."

"Quite."

"Well, then let us pray that he and his mage, along with all of the other students, avoid further tragedy."

"Are you religious?" Professor Colbert asks. I glance at him and see a few oddities in his shifted stance and eyes. Suspicion, fear, and… a bit of guilt? "I just find it a bit curious, as you frequently talk of prayer. You also have not even used the term 'Founder'."

"Ah, haha. Well, I do not follow the religion of this land, so that is why I do not swear upon this 'Founder' I have heard much about. I am from a far distant place where your religion has not even touched. And as for me talking so much of prayer, there is a saying that goes 'there is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole'."

I see the professor slightly relax after my answer. I estimate that he has likely had a run in with zealots based on his reaction.

"Besides, when you're up against impossible odds, how can one not pray?" I ask with a chuckle. "If there is anyone willing to listen to the prayers of a single man to deliver his comrades to him safely, then I will take whatever I can get. So, one might say I'm religious, but I'm not exactly the kind of man who always goes to the cathedral to pray daily."

"Ah, I see. Sorry for the odd question, it's just that while I've heard stories of men and women who were so devoted to the Founder's religion they considered it taboo to even refer to him directly in any way, I've never met any of them. I was only wondering if you were one."

"No, no, definitely not. But thank you for being honest with me about that." I say, standing up from my makeshift seat of the one of the desks in the classroom.

"Though, I find it just a bit amusing you're more interested in this than the students were." He says with a bit of disappointment in his voice.

"Well, for those without magic, technology is all that's available to us. While at the moment you've used magic to create the fire to start off the engine, imagine if it had simply been created by a spark. A controlled device, that when you press the button, creates a spark and lights it up. Now imagine the self-driving carriage I spoke of. Imagine it now with farming tools on the back that till the ground as you drive by."

I see his eyes lighting up, already playing with ideas in his head. "You could revolutionize agriculture."

"Indeed. Farmers might be able to have longer rests, then. Or perhaps they could grow more crops in the same amount of time, whatever they so choose to do. Ah, though, I suppose it might affect the economy in various ways that are beyond my comprehension. I'm not too well versed on the economy of Halkeginia, I suppose."

"My goodness, it's hard to believe you aren't a professor somewhere else, let alone a nobleman. Someone without magic who is not only able to understand the intricacies of this steam engine, but also know economics." He says, eyeing me a bit suspiciously once again. "Are you sure you're not a mage?"

"Absolutely sure, Professor."

"I see…"

"Though with someone of your intellect, I'm surprised you aren't working for Academia. I've met one of their most prominent figures and I daresay that you'd blow them all away."

Professor Colbert simply shakes his head. "They are concerned purely with researching magic. I find myself drawn to asking how magic can be used to fuel the mundane, if you'll excuse the pun due to the steam engine."

"Ah, I see, I see. Yes, that would be quite the difference in mentality. Can I ask what drives you to research su—"

Before I can finish my question, there's a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Professor Colbert asks. "Come in."

A Royal Musketeer opens the door, saluting to me. "Sorry for the interruption, sirs. Commander, First Lieutenant Sara is asking for you. She says it's urgent. Something about a 'radio signature', she said you'd understand."

I immediately reach for my briefcase and nod. "Sorry to cut this short Professor Colbert, but perhaps another time."

He simply laughs, if a bit self-derisively. "Well, the war has given me a lot more free time, so my office is always open."

"I see. Thank you for your time." I say, turning to the musketeer. "Please lead the way."


"Sara."

Springfield looks up at me as I step onto the ramparts where they're overlooking the perimeter of the school. Everyone's slightly scattered if only to provide more eyes, but not too much where we can't actually respond to a threat in time.

"Are we alone?" She asks, glancing about.

I close the door I took behind me, then look around as well before checking the immediate area, but it seems like I wasn't followed and the closest musketeer is out of earshot.

"Seems like it for now. Sitrep."

"Approximately ten minutes ago, I detected a radio signal originating from the forests nearby the academy. I responded to it, but instead of receiving a reply back, it was terminated."

"Nature of the signal?"

"An emergency broadcast, an SOS. I believe, Commander, they terminated it when I responded as they were surprised about receiving the signal."

"I suppose they ought to be suspicious of a returned signal here."

"Your orders, sir?"

"Broadcast your own radio message again, unencrypted. Identify yourself and let them know there is a Griffin commander here, and if they can respond, come to the entrance closest to the forests. We'll receive them there."

"Copy that, sir. I'll begin right away, and will dictate it out for your approval. Please standby." She pauses, holding a hand to her right ear. "This is Griffin T-Doll M1903 Springfield, broadcasting on an open channel. Please identify yourself at once, your emergency signal has been received. There is a Griffin commander here waiting to receive you at the entrance of the compound closest to the forest. I will leave this message on loop for the next thirty minutes, please respond if you are receiving it. Is that adequate, Commander?"

"It'll do. Now we just have to wait. By the way, you don't need to actually dictate it to me. You guys have internal comms, don't you?"

"Yes, sir. However, I wanted to vocalize it so you would be able to hear what I was telling them. If we need to be subtle, I don't need to vocalize it." Springfield pauses, smiling. "Though, it is a bit lucky that we don't currently have to conceal the mere presence of our broadcasts."

"Haha, isn't that true? No SF trying to sniff us out by tracking where a broadcast is coming from. And I hope it stays that way. Are you continuing to broadcast?"

"Yes, sir. I'm broadcasting the recorded message on a loop."

"Sorry, it's still just a bit strange not to be hearing it. But, thank you."

"Mhm… oh, Commander, I'm receiving a signal in return. Yes, this is Griffin T-Doll M1903 Springfield. Yes, I understand. I will direct you to the entrance if you do not see it. Please stand by, the Commander is on his way."

"I'll be right down."

"Mhm. Yes, go ahead, you are clear to move."


"Professor."

"Oh, I didn't expect to see you so—by the Founder, what happened to—"

"No time to explain." I say, laying the Spectre M4 T-Doll we picked up on one of the large desks in his office. While she could walk herself and the other T-Doll that accompanied her was helping, I tried to give some further assistance but it seems that I've forgotten that T-Dolls are… surprisingly heavy despite their appearance. But I think it was slightly faster.

Spectre's hair is somewhat singed, her clothes are charred, most especially her right stocking which has been all but burned off entirely, several internals of her left leg are exposed, apparently having been melted by something, and part of what forms the equivalent of her leg bone is also partially melted.

"What happened to her…? And more importantly, what…" He asks as he looks over her.

"I'll explain to you later. Professor, before I continue, not a word to Captain Agnes."

He glances at me, where I'm sure he can see the seriousness on my face. Agnes cannot find out now, but perhaps later. I will have to explain it on my own terms, and I would rather not her be hostile to me while it happens.

"Do I have your word you will explain it to me?"

"You have my word."

"...very well. She appears to be some kind of golem that mimics the human anatomy."

"That would be correct. Do you have any copper?"

"Yes, I do," He says, going through multiple cabinets. "Anything else?"

"Some kind of precision melting tool."

"Commander." PPK, the other T-Doll that was accompanying Spectre M4 says, raising a hand. Her black maid dress is mostly unharmed, or at least the ashes are hidden behind its black hue. However, her headdress has sustained some damage along with her hair having some damage. "If you mean to conduct circuit repairs, you will need some kind of solder or similar alloy."

"Right, right… What do you recommend?"

"In the absence of lead solder, we'll need tin, copper, and silver."

"Thank you. Professor?"

"Er, I didn't understand her…?"

Oh, dammit, right.

"Professor, do you know a translation spell? If so, can you cast it on the two of them?"

"Of course."

"PPK, Spectre, standby." I say, with the first of the two nodding. I hear Professor Colbert say an incantation of sorts before pointing his wand at PPK, then repeating it for Spectre. "PPK, can you tell the professor what you told me?"

"We'll need tin, copper, and silver."

"I have some lying around. As for the precision heating tool, I do have a spell for it that utilizes my wand."

How convenient, magic is.

"But, Commander."

"PPK?"

"You were not listening to me earlier, as you were highly panicked about Spectre's condition. As I was trying to tell you as you continued to ignore me, her circuitry is mostly undamaged. The most that has happened is some of the wires have their coating melted together, but unless you have replacements—"

"Ah, I see. Sorry, I was just in such a rush from seeing the inside of her leg… okay, okay. This is good." I mumble, shaking my head. "Okay, so instead, we'll work on that leg bone. Do you have steel, Professor?"

"Yes, I do…?"

"Good. We'll need to cut or form it to match her leg bone area, then fuse it together. Spectre, can you hear me?"

"Com… mmander?" She breathes out, still in pain.

"If you have access to it, please forward a copy of your schematics to PPK, or if not, just send whatever you can to her that will help her repair your leg. We'll need it in order to make precision repairs… or at least, as close as we can to precision repairs."

"Yes, sir."

"Alright. Now then, please just rest while we work on this."

"I have the baseline for what diagnostics check against, Commander. Please allow me to get a look at her exposed leg so I can calculate the cutout by comparing it to what diagnostics expect."

I nod at this, allowing PPK to step forward.

"Professor, if you have a steel block and something to mark it with, that'd be a huge help." I say, with Professor Colbert nodding. "Then we'll need a sheet of steel to seal over the exposed area."

"I should have plenty around from all my failed engine prototypes. I'll get right to it."

"PPK, assist the professor in carving out the steel replacement when you're finished."

"Just finished analyzing it, sir. I'll be right on my way."

I then sandwich Spectre's left hand with my own two hands, gripping tightly. "Stay with us, Spectre. Help is on the way."

While it's not exactly a critical injury, I can't imagine that having your leg burned open like that could be any fun. Since I'm not a mechanic or able to really help with the repairs, I do basically the only thing that I can do: be there for the T-Dolls.

A minute or two later, PPK taps me on the shoulder, with the professor holding out a small steel cutout.

"Alright, we're going to have to weld it in place, then we'll place the metal sheet around the exposed leg and weld it shut. Can you do that, Professor?"

"I can try."

"That's as good as it's going to get. Got gloves, professor?"

He nods, holding a pair up. "I figured you'd need them to deal with the heat."

"Thanks." I say, taking them from him and putting them on. "PPK, help me out in placing the replacement part. I'll hold it still while the professor here fuses the two together."

"Yes, sir."

I then attempt to match the block in, with PPK instructing me in how to rotate it in properly, down to the very degree.

"There. Hold it still."

"Understood. Professor?"

"I'm on it."

I see him chant, or I suppose it's a chant, for a few seconds as he holds a needle in his hands. The tip begins to glow a bright red as he leans in, slowly melding the two together. This isn't truly welding, but… magic sure is amazing.

"Your subordinate gave me a brief explanation of the process you wanted. Unfortunately I don't have something like that, but I can at least compensate for it. There's a bit of extra metal on the replacement part, so I can melt that to fill the crevices and attach the two. It's very crude, but if you believe it will get the job done for now..."

"Thank you."

"And… done. What's next?"

"We're going to have to close the hole temporarily. I'd prefer something dedicated for job, but for now we just have to make do. Do you have the sheet?"

"Right here."

"Good. Let's wrap it around and seal it shut."

I can hear Spectre hiss in pain from the metal being heated around her leg, but it's the best we're going to be able to do at this point. It's rather clunky, too, since where her slim leg was is now a rather ugly tube of metal that encases her wound, even if the tube itself isn't that thick, being less than half an inch. It should prevent her internals from being exposed, but as much as I hate to say it, Spectre likely won't be combat ready for a long time, if ever.

"Thanks, professor. PPK, can I entrust you with looking after her while I explain things to the professor?"

"Leave it to me, sir."

I lead Professor Colbert out of the room, walking past Springfield, who was watching the door, and into a nearby classroom, closing the door behind us.

"She's a golem, isn't she? Some kind of strange golem, I haven't seen one with such an intricate interior." He asks as I sit down on top of a desk.

"You could say that." I say, letting him draw his own conclusions. "I used to command them, back in the day."

"Is that girl one of yours?"

"No. But, it's likely she's worked with one of my former coworkers, so she'll be responsive to me. I'd appreciate if you could keep this quiet, too, professor. The last thing I need is for some magical research group trying to kidnap those girls to do research on them. Especially considering how Spectre's injury isn't going away any time soon."

"I'll keep it a secret as best as I can." He says, nodding quickly.

"Thank you. Ah, and do let me know how much the parts cost to fix her. I'll make sure you're properly reimbursed for it."

"Please don't feel a need to. It's what anyone would've done."

"It's materials for your research, likely taken out of private funds. Even if it is simply goodwill to help, professor, it is still good to reward such a thing." I say, getting up from my seat. "Now then, let's go back and talk to her."

"That's all?"

"I was expecting more questions, but you hit the nail on the head the first time around." I say with a shrug, hoping to pass it off.

"Despite her nature as a golem, though, I can't detect any magic from her. Can you explain that one to me?"

I pause, close to the door. "Similar to a golem, but not quite, professor. If you want to really know, you could say something closer to an 'artificial human', born of science, not magic."

"So something more close to alchemy?"

"If you and I have the same idea of what alchemy is, then I suppose. However, please understand when I don't want to say anything more. After all, it might be dangerous to tell you."

"Dangerous?"

"I'll simply say that she's very advanced for this day and age." I say, glancing back at him. "Imagine I were to tell you, and then imagine that your research and notes about the subject were stolen. It could cause a tremendous change, one that could radically shift power and would also change war. Are you ready to accept that responsibility?"

I see him hesitate to say anything back, likely understand that to be the case. Forgive me, professor, for using this excuse. But this world simply can't know about T-Dolls just yet.

"Though, I'd like to talk with her alone, first. Security, if you will."

"I understand. I'll wait outside, then?"

"I'll have Sara call you in when it's time." I say, walking ahead. I pass by Springfield, who nods and opens the door, where Spectre is looking down at her relatively fixed leg, and PPK is holding her hand. The two snap to a salute when I walk in.

"At ease, you two." I say, the door closing behind me. "Spectre, I apologize for the jury-rigged fix, but it's the best we can do to prevent any further damage to your internals. Good job on making it here."

"No welcoming party?" Spectre asks with a bit of a forced smile. I can't help but chuckle in reply, taking a seat near them. "Commander, what is the situation?"

"As wacky as it sounds, we're in an alternative world. This place has magic, magical beasts, wizards, queens and princesses, the like. A world untainted by the Sangvis, I suppose. But at the same time, T-Dolls are not a thing here. It's unlikely we'll ever get your leg truly repaired."

I can see Spectre's expression visibly darken at that. As I remember, she's an SMG type T-Doll. They are generally used in short range skirmishes and are excellent dodgers, but… with that leg injury, that's not about to happen.

"Then, Commander, whatever are we going to do?" PPK asks, looking at me.

"Survive. Continue to get by, see if we can't find a way home. It's all we can do. Besides, Springfield's been doing it for a lot longer than I have. With any luck, we'll be able to find something to repair you as well."

I see PPK nod at this, likely understanding the situation. There's no real objective here. We just have to keep living until we can find a way home.

"But, more importantly—what happened to you?"

"We were attacked by a group of… fire throwers?" Spectre pauses, looking at PPK as if to confirm. PPK nods, so Spectre continues. "We thought that they might be helpful to us, but we ended up simply being attacked. We escaped into the woods and have been on the run since. However, they focused their fire on Spectre's leg, so I believe they meant to capture us. They're capable of using beam attacks, similar to some reported Ringleaders."

"How long ago was this?" I ask, trying to figure it out. They might have been fire mages, then. I'll have to finish their briefing later on what exactly being… here entails.

"Two days ago. We thought we were on the way to Germania, but we're unable to find a map and until that professor did that… translating spell, you said? Until then, we weren't able to communicate with anyone for a map. We're also unable to defend ourselves from those fire throwers due to a lack of Anti-Human protocols. It would damage us otherwise."

"I see. I'll have Springfield give you hers, then. Are your internal clocks able to be manually set?"

"Yes, sir. We're off the network, so we're relying on manually set clocks now." Spectre says back, PPK nodding in agreement again.

"Alright, follow her advice on how to properly set them to maximize the amount of time they last. Do you know what direction they're going?"

"Based on how they were walking, they'll… be here in a day or two? We're able to move faster, as we don't have to stop and eat, plus we kept traveling in the night. But if they kept pace with us, then they'll be here sooner rather than later." PPK says after thinking for a bit. "It's a bit difficult considering how we got spun around in the forest, but if they weren't leaving here, then they're definitely coming here."

A potential attack on the Academy, hm? I'll have to inform Ag—

The door then flies open, with Agnes stepping in. Speak of the devil. "Commander."

"Captain. I see you've been informed of what happened."

"I have. You weren't exactly subtle in bringing them here, all of the other musketeers saw them. I also wasn't aware that Sara is your personal assistant now." She says, glancing over the two new T-Dolls.

"Well, Sara was the one who reported catching sight of them, so I had her here as well."

"I see…" I can tell that she's slightly suspicious of what exactly the relationship between Springfield and I is. I suppose now, considering that there are a grand total of three T-Dolls present, it might be time to at least explain the truth, at least partially, to Agnes. It would alleviate any tensions that might arise otherwise, especially if she believes that 'Sara' is getting too 'friendly' with me, or so to say. "Strays?"

"They're people I used to command." I say, with Agnes pausing due to that. "It seems they've found their way here as well."

I see Agnes close the door behind her and walk up to me. "Do you mean that as in your cover, or…"

"As in, from another world."

"Ufufu, is this your lover, Commander?"

I see Agnes laugh at that one as she steps away from me. That one actually kind of hurts, Agnes.

"No, this is Captain Agnes, of the Royal Musketeers. I've been working with her after being brought here. Captain, this is Spectre M4 and PPK."

"Strange names."

"We live in strange times." I say, Agnes shrugging at that. "With your permission, I'd like for them to join us."

"Can they be trusted?"

"They'll follow my orders." I say with confidence, getting a nod from the two of them. "Spectre is injured for now, though. It will be some time before we can get her healed."

"I see. We don't have any spare uniforms, but if you trust them… then I suppose I will have to, for the meantime. You've earned some trust from me, Commander, but you know what they say. Trust, but verify."

"I don't know how to prove they're from another world, but if you want proof they're really on our side, they mentioned a squad of fire mages that might be coming to the Academy."

I see Agnes' eyes narrow for a second. Suspicion, but a slight bit of anxiety. She's probably gauging whether or not to follow through on the claim.

"Well, let's listen to what they have to say, then. We'll see if they're trustworthy or not."

"Mhm. PPK, give me the full details, we'll get everyone situated."


"Ah, Commander, could you stay for a bit?"

PPK gives me a smile as Agnes calls out to me after the briefing to all the musketeers, as she wanted to relay all information to everyone, including the teachers. I wave her off, with Springfield dragging the potentially problematic handgun T-Doll off with her.

"Sure. What did you need to talk about?"

"In a bit."

Agnes waits until the room is completely cleared out before locking the door behind them. "Those two girls, I wanted to talk to you in private about them. Obviously, the professor knows about them. So I want you to tell me what you told him."

"Understandable. Well, they're golems, to put it quickly. I commanded them back in the day."

"Put it thoroughly, then."

"Alright. I also told Colbert they're more similar to 'artificial humans' created through alchemy."

"I see…" Agnes mumbles, crossing her arms. "That makes a bit of sense. They're far too complex to be a normal golem, based on the ones I've encountered. So, anything else?"

"If you want it thoroughly, well, I suppose yes. They're 'artificial humans' meant to respond to commands from humans."

"And how do we know the enemy won't just command them back?"

"I'm registered at their commander."

"Registered?" She asks. Ah, I suppose it wouldn't make sense to someone who isn't familiar with computers. It's not like they run off a physical document or something.

"Er, think of it as logical imprinting."

Agnes raises an eyebrow at this, clearly a bit confused.

"They aren't actually, you know, imprinting on me, but they've recognized me as their leader. The uniform helps, as they recognize it too. Not that it's a requirement, but it helped identify me as a member of the force they served. They're highly advanced, so they're able to make that logical decision that I am indeed a commander of that force they've served."

"Interesting… you have to understand my hesitation of them being directly under you, then."

"Of course. If you'd like, I can ask them if it's possible to register you as a commander. They'll respond to your orders just as well."

"That won't be necessary… yet, anyways. I want to trust you for now. So, I remember from our introduction. You said you handled infantry deployments. What weapons are they versed in?"

"I thought you'd ask that." I say back. "I'll use PPK's weapon as an example, so don't get jumpy, okay?"

Agnes nods, but looks somewhat confused, as I pull out PPK's assigned weapon from its holster at my waist. Before the briefing began, I asked her to borrow it, having anticipated Agnes' asking about this.

"This is also my proof they're from the outside world, like me." I say, carefully laying it on the table between us. "Do you recognize the shape?"

I see Agnes' eyes tracing the very structure of the gun. "That explains why you took to commanding the musketeers so easily."

There's a brief silence in the air as she inspects it visually.

"You can touch it."

I see a brief flash of embarrassment on Agnes' face as she scoffs, looking away for a second.

"I was just awaiting your permission for inspection."

"The soldiers I commanded used firearms, too. Compared to yours, though, ours are incredibly advanced." I say, as Agnes lifts up the gun and weighs it in her hands. She's able to get how to hold it properly likely by instinct.

"I don't think I can quite see the loading mechanism."

"Ah, it's different than what you're used to."

"Can you explain it to me?"

"I can." I say as Agnes puts the gun back down. Another pause.

"Well?"

"But I won't."

"And why's that?"

I close my eyes for a second and sigh before opening them as I take the gun back. "Unfortunately I cannot let you research it, which includes understanding them more fully, because they still need them, so experimentation is out of the question. And of course, I'll tell you the same thing I told Colbert. That is, it's dangerous to let research be done."

"Dangerous how?"

"It might be safe to let you research them, Agnes, but what if your research falls into the wrong hands? What if we develop an advanced weapon, and it is captured and turned on us, with enemies that have more war production potential than us? That's not a risk I'm willing to take. Thus, I'll elect to leave these weapons with those who are best at defending them."

"Your soldiers nearly got burned by a group of fire mages."

"They were caught off guard in a strange land they knew nothing of and couldn't understand anyone until a translation spell was given to them. I can assure you that it won't happen again. Besides, Spectre wasn't at risk of being destroyed. She might not be able to run as fast, but allow me to assure you that she's still just as deadly."

"That remains to be seen, but since you've been so transparent I'll trust you. For now."

"For now?"

"Our time's short, so I can't get the full story out of you. But after this, I want the whole truth, Commander Oliver Penn Baker." Oh, the full name. I'm definitely in trouble. "And I'd like your permission to cross reference with your golem troops separately."

"You'll have my full cooperation. But, I'd like one thing in return."

"And that is?"

"I'd like to know the story behind the development of your guns. They certainly are very advanced for the age, so I'd like to know how they came to be."

"...a fair exchange, I suppose. It's not like there's too much to tell, in the end. Very well."

"Then, is there anything else?"

"Ah, yes, before you go, the other reason I called you alone."

"Hm?"

"I took the liberty of preparing a firearm for you." Agnes says, reaching for the floor and pulling up a suitcase of sorts. She lays it flat on the table before undoing the locks, then turns it to face me. "Go on."

"Is this a welcoming ritual?"

"It's a symbol of trust. That you're one of us now, Oliver. Based on the first operation you led us down and the princess' faith in you, I figured it was appropriate."

I carefully open the case, finding a handgun that looks very similar to the one Agnes pulled on Colbert the other day. It's certainly old fashioned for me, being a breechloader like the rest of their firearms. Plenty of ammunition inside as well, I'd say approximately thirty bullets, along with a proper holster. I won't be packing a lot of heat considering how I'm supposed to be staying in the back, but it'll do.

I won't say I'm an expert marksman either, but I had my training in shooting. Not to mention that I would frequently ask my girls to show me the ropes. I wanted to understand what it felt like. So I would know what I was ordering them to do.

"Sara found out about it, so she thought it might be nice to give you an engraving on the barrel." Agnes explains as I look at the marking on the barrel of the gun, which almost immediately drew my attention.

M1903. Of course that would be it. Is this you saying you'll be with me until the end, Springfield?

"What does it mean, if you feel like sharing? You've got a smile on your face."

"M1903 is…" I pause, trying to figure out a way to word this. Well, if she went so far as this with getting involved, there's no harm in being a bit playful. It's likely to reach Springfield's ears, anyways, whatever my answer is. "...a goddess of victory who is said to always be walking with me. One of many, that we, the commanders of my home world, placed our faith in. I told Sara about her when we were making idle talk."

"I see… considering those girls, PPK and Spectre M4, it's not strange to hear that's a name. Your world has a very strange naming sense."

I can't help but chuckle at both the fact Agnes seemed to buy it and of course, her observation of the names.

"Speaking of Sara, you seem to be getting very friendly with her, Commander."

"Is that an issue?"

Agnes shakes her head. "Not in particular. However, while we currently don't have an internal fraternization policy, try not to do anything that will make me have to write one, got it?"

I only laugh at this as I set the gun back down in its case and close it. "You won't have to worry about that, Agnes. Anyways, I'll be at my post."

"Good luck out there."

"Same to you."


"I'm not quite sure how I feel about this." Spectre mumbles to herself, weighing the musket in her hands. Agnes brought over a few extra in the event we needed them, so we've temporarily given one to Spectre. PPK on the other hand, is still able to dodge and distract the enemy, so she wasn't given one so she can run around more easily.

However, we are incredibly limited on ammo. Spectre is down to five magazines and a half empty one already loaded. PPK is at four and one fourth, with her gun now returned to her after I borrowed it for my case to Agnes. A lot more ammo than Springfield in the 'total shots' department, but it's… a lot less than I'd like.

Fortunately, we now have PPK to play runner. Spectre can utilize her radio to talk with PPK and Springfield, thus being essentially our radio operator. Not to say that PPK can't directly talk with Springfield, but Springfield is going to be far away from us as she's playing sniper, and we're a bit further away so that way we're not close to the battle.

"You'll get used to it." Springfield says with a small smile. "Commander, one question?"

"Go for it."

"Should I use the musket, or…"

"If you think it's a necessity, use your normal weapon. I'll leave it to your discretion, but it doesn't seem like this one should necessitate it. If the situation comes up, it's your call. You got that too, PPK?"

"Yes, sir~" PPK's voice calls back over the radio, which Spectre has on speaker for now. "Emergencies only."

"Good. Confirm Anti-Human protocols are set?"

"They are thoroughly loaded, Commander." PPK says with a lot more enthusiasm than I'm comfortable with. I suppose that other commanders did mention that their PPK dolls had a… semi-sadistic side to them.

"Spectre, confirming that Anti-Human protocols have been set properly."

"All systems green, including those protocols, Commander." Springfield says before saluting. "I'll return to my post, now."

"All are good copies, over. And alright, Springfield. Keep us posted on anything strange you see."

"That's Sara now, isn't it?" She says with a playful smile before leaving, the setting sun shimmering off of her hair as she walks away.

According to our intel, it's likely that they will be coming through the forest. When we gave this information to the staff, they began to set up defenses and also had the students take shelter in the inner sections of the school, where they will hopefully be out of the crossfire.

Strangely enough, it was Colbert who brought up the question of what they looked like, along with if they had identified anyone in that group. More specifically, if there was anyone with a scar over their left eye, and an eyepatch over their right. I did not question him about it right away, as he would no doubt be evasive, however upon PPK confirming that there was indeed a person who fit this description in the caravan of people heading here, I decided I would give Colbert's assessments and advice a greater degree of consideration.

We aren't concentrating our defenses just yet. Colbert informed us that we were likely dealing with an advanced group of specialists. When I asked how he knew, just as a confirmation, he admitted that as a fire mage, he was apparently once asked to join them, but he did not agree with their message.

I detected hints of truth, but also lies in the way he worded it. A story created from truths, perhaps. It wasn't the full story, but considering how he appeared under heavy duress, and not from lying, I decided to appear as if I bought it. It was the eyes, I suppose. Something in them told me of fear. Like finding an old friend is now serving with the enemy.

Thus, the objective was to create the image of weaknesses on two fronts. It would be suspect to have a baited weakness in the area facing the forest. Thus, giving two might make it look like we were spread thin. However, our deployments were such that upon knowing where the attack was coming from, all personnel could move to swiftly intercept.

We'd be maintaining this guard for the next few nights, and if a week went by with nothing, we'd send a scouting force into the forest. PPK and Spectre didn't give exact numbers, but they reported that we should expect at least twenty enemy soldiers. To be conservative, we assumed them all to be fire mages.

A dedicated attack force versus a dedicated defense force. I just hope this turns out for the best. And more importantly, I'll have to question Professor Colbert on this later. This group seems like a potential infiltration cell that should be brought up to Henrietta. She should be aware of all possible threats to her, especially on the domestic front.

"Well, get comfortable, Spectre. We're in for a long night."


So, I actually pushed back some things for next chapter because lmao what even is actual planning. The whole thing with Spectre took a lot longer so I wanted to pace it out a bit. Probably the most contentious part of the chapter for me, to be honest. The extent of Spectre's damage originally included some actual damage to her wiring, but I decided against that as I looked into the composition of solder even if I'm familiar with the process of it (engineering, yo!), and simply reduced it to her leg "bone" being partially melted away and them needing to restructure it.

Granted, I suppose it's a mite bit convenient that the injury was like that, but I suppose it was believable enough that some fire mages might have been able to melt away part of her leg, if you thought they were all firing together or something. For those familiar with FoZ, I figured it was an acceptable power level for who you know is showing up soon; for those not, well, I guess that's next chapter. But I think that for fire mages, even if it wasn't shown in show, some kind of concentrated fire/heat beam that would be capable of melting through metal is something that sounds in the realm of possibility. FoZ's magic system isn't exactly like, super concrete? There's some room to play around. It does mean that I'll have to keep checking for internal consistency though lol.

Either way, not much other than that. Originally Spectre and PPK would show up later, but considering how I decided to move forward with a T-Doll centric approach, all the more reason to move their appearance up. Spectre was the hardest to write as she has, compared to Springfield's motherly/formal/elegant style of dialogue and PPK's somewhat smug-sadistic-ish feel, she has a very… plain and vanilla style for her lines? I mean I suppose it makes her stand out a bit, haha, but it was a bit hard writing her dialogue.

As for the T-Doll communications, I had it both where they can vocalize what's going over the radio, but also they can transmit it quietly without making noise. I figured that wasn't exactly a large leap in logic considering that they have computational parts. They could simply compute what they're going to sound like and transmit it, allowing the others to receive the message without talking (a la Springfield retransmitting her message over and over). Additionally there was Spectre on speaker, allowing Oliver to hear PPK, rather than just Spectre. Could be kind of fun, seeing as it's a bit like telepathy to anyone not versed in T-Dolls.

I felt Agnes jumped a little too quickly to trust them, but my line of logic was that Agnes trusts Oliver, and if Oliver trusts the newcomers, then she'll at least give them a chance; additionally, Oliver doesn't seem like the type to lie about people coming from his world, so to her he has very little reason to claim Spectre and PPK are unless it's true. But maybe you could interpret it as their trust in one another growing over his showcase of dedication. Well, either way, see you all next time.