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#3

Teamwork makes the dream work, right? One person can only do so much, and a team makes everything go by so much faster, right? Well, I found that's the case most of the time, but like every rule, there are exceptions. My short stint in the National Guard was a real eye-opener on how the folks above you can really make your progress grind to a halt.

Even as a kid of eighteen years, I knew that most people who join the military in peacetime are just looking for pay and benefits, and aren't too concerned about actually doing the job. The amount of times I had to fight my own CO's to get anything done was astounding, though. It's like everyone was actively working against me.

Those short four years really taught me how to work around the wishes (or apathy) of my superiors. Kissing ass, creative interpretation of orders, making my ideas seem like theirs? All fair game, and all things that worked pretty well, even if I didn't like doing it. When my contract ran out, I didn't renew.

My time in the military did do me good, however. Armed with a security clearance and practical experience, lots of juicy jobs were opened up to me. In the private sector, I did run into bosses who were as lazy as sloths and about as approachable as rattlesnakes, but now I knew how to get around them. I wasn't about to have graying executives standing between me and a job well done.

Now, the rare handful of bosses who trusted me to do my thing the way I wanted? The ones who are swell folks on and off the job site? I treasured those guys. I gave them everything I had, always aiming to be ahead of schedule and under budget.

I hope to God that Yasaka is one of the latter bosses. My usual routes of persuasion probably won't work on a mystical bigshot like her, and it would hurt me to have to be an underhanded dick to a woman this pretty.

Stephen isn't given much time to collect the thoughts that Yasaka's appearance suddenly sends them into disarray, as the kitsune begins speaking once more after she gracefully seats herself. "Kunou," Yasaka begins, addressing her daughter with a raised eyebrow, "My daughter, what brings you to this meeting? Haven't you studies to attend to?"

Kunou shifts into 'Princess mode' in a heartbeat, schooling her face and her bearing. "Mother, I took it upon myself to begin preliminary evaluations of Steele-san's capabilities and character. Steele-san and I spoke briefly, and I found the responses to most of my inquiries satisfactory. In the interest of providing a second opinion if required during your own evaluation, I am sitting in."

Yasaka's golden eyes sparkle above her smile. "Ah, a preliminary evaluation, you say? Like the one Kurohane already performed?"

That takes the wind out of Kunou's sails, and her Princess façade falters. "E-Erm…"

Laughing lightly, Yasaka reaches out and lays a gentle hand on her daughter's arm. "My daughter, so serious and mature, if you wished for a break from your studies, I wouldn't mind at all. You need only ask rather than play…" Yasaka pauses and looks towards Stephen. "Goodness, what was the word in English? It began with an H, this I know. Steele-san, perhaps you know?"

"The word you're looking for is 'hooky', Yasaka-sama," Stephen provides, wondering if there is some kind of social theater that he's missing with his inclusion to the conversation. It wouldn't surprise him if there is.

The fox matriarch clicks her tongue. "Simply 'Yasaka' will suffice behind closed doors, Steele-san," she says. "I believe that we will be speaking often, and undue formality has no place between friends-to-be."

'Friends-to-be, huh?' Stephen stops his eyebrow from instinctively rising. 'I suppose I can appreciate that, even if it's not something that can be taken at face value.'

Nodding, Stephen gives Yasaka a smile. "In that case, please call me Stephen."

Yasaka titters behind a hand as Kurohane frowns at the exchange.

"How bold," Yasaka lets out one final giggle before returning her hands to her lap. "I quite like the sound of that, Stephen. Now, I have been given a comprehensive report regarding your Sacred Gear from Kurohane, but may I trouble you for a demonstration?" She asks. "To read a report is one thing, to see with one's own eyes is another, as I'm sure you know. Can you explain your Automata Gigue in detail?"

Once more, Stephen nods. "Of course. I have a few of my golems with me. Here," Stephen fishes Alpha One from his pocket and sets the bee on the table. "A1, leave standby."

The insect-shaped wire sculpture buzzes his wings and flicks his antennae, craning his head to look at the inquisitive faces around him.

"Alpha One, as you can probably guess from the name, is my first creation," Stephen begins, gesturing down to the copper bee. "He's made of commonly available materials, those materials being coiled copper wire and a gold ring set with a small, low quality emerald. In my testing thus far, Alpha One has proved himself to be capable of advanced computations, creative problem-solving, making judgment calls, and learning new concepts which can later be utilized for tasks. In short, Alpha One is as sapient as an artificial entity can be; a true AI."

Yasaka leans forward to inspect the copper bee, making her bosom nearly spill out of her kimono. "How curious…" She murmurs. "The golems care not for physical constraints, correct? Can this one fly despite logic saying otherwise?"

Alpha One buzzes his wings in response, hovering several inches over the table before touching back down.

Stephen fights valiantly to keep his eyes locked on Yasaka's face. "Yes. My golems care much more about intent than practicality. Anything I animate will be able to utilize all of their mounted components more or less as they were intended to be used."

"Steele-san?" Kunou speaks up, drawing all eyes to her. "Can I propose a test? I believe it would benefit all parties if we could see the animation process in action."

'A test?' Stephen wonders. "I don't mind, Princess. What did you have in mind?"

A tiny smile cracks the girl's face. "The golems need a body and a gemstone core, correct?"

A simple nod is Stephen's answer.

"Mother!" Kunou turns to Yasaka. "May I be excused for a moment?"

"Don't be too long, my dear."

Kunou gives her mother a shallow bow and zips out of the meeting room.

With Kunou gone, Yasaka lets out a fond sigh and looks towards Stephen. "I haven't seen my daughter that excited in quite some time. I hope she didn't disturb you overmuch with her unusual energy this morning, Stephen," she says.

The man shakes his head. "Not at all. She's a nice girl, with quite a brain, to boot. Maturity like that is quite refreshing."

"Oh? Are you trying to, what's the phrase? Butter me up through my daughter?" Yasaka asks amusedly.

Stephen clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "Only speaking the truth. Kunou is a good girl, and the world could use more kids like her. Heck, if I ever have children, I hope they turn out like her."

Yasaka raises a delicate eyebrow. "You've no children of your own?"

"Not much family of any kind, these days," Stephen answers, a rueful smile on his face.

Before Yasaka can continue, Kunou reenters the meeting room and closes the door behind her. Clutched in her hand is a large mecha figurine resembling a Gundam. The figure looks to be one of those "build it yourself" models that come in a kit, with an orange and black color scheme. Stephen catches a glimmer on the back of the model, where a small red gem looks to have been glued into a hastily made slot.

"Toys, Kunou-hime?" Kurohane begins reproachfully. The tengu crosses his feathered arms. "Is this truly the time for that?"

"Hold your horses, Kurohane-san," Stephen jumps to Kunou's defense before the girl can wilt. "That's actually pretty ingenious. If Kunou's model can actually make use of all of its sci-fi doodads after I bring it to life, then that's got some interesting implications." He looks towards a surprised Kunou. "I was impressed by your brains earlier, Princess, but now I'm blown away. When the day you take the reins from your mother comes, I think Kyoto will be in fine hands."

Kunou seems to realize that she was just tossed a metaphorical lifeline, and does her best to look serious, but she can't quite stop the smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. "Naturally, Steele-san," she says, her voice cracking a little. She then places the model on the table. "Whenever you are ready."

Stephen touches a finger to the gem slotted into the back of the model, and lets his life force flow into it. The jewel isn't very large, but it still steals enough from him that his limbs begin to grow heavy.

The second that Stephen withdraws his hand, the model twitches and stands straight. Its eyes glow a luminescent green, and it turns its head inquisitively, taking in the people around.

"Go on, Princess," Stephen gestures towards the newly created golem. "Give 'em an order."

Kunou hesitates for a moment. "Surprise us?" she commands unsurely.

The model bends its knees and lowers its stance, taking on a dramatic pose. It grasps a rectangular, hilt shaped object attached to its waist and draws it with a flourish. With a high pitched whoosh sound, a short blade of crackling orange energy erupts from the tiny hilt in its grasp, making a tiny beam-sword. The model then bends its knees further, the wing-like jetpack upon its back flaring with orange energy like the sword. The little mecha jumps and rises into the air, suspended by its jetpack, and lifts its sword over its head in a pose fit for an anime thumbnail.

Kunou's decorum is forgotten, and her jaw openly drops. "Sugoi…" she whispers, slipping back to Japanese.

The model drops back down to the table and extinguishes its beam sword. It then crosses its arms, looking as proud as a hunk of plastic can.

His mind whirling with what he's seen, Stephen then takes Comms out of his pocket and lays the phone-shaped golem on the table next to Alpha One. "Comms? Show the model golem's core readout."

The phone screen lights up with the info.

CORE POWER ANALYSIS – UNDEFINED GOLEM
Power Source: 1.8 carat Garnet
Current Power Level: 94%
Core Health: Optimal
Estimated Time Until Recharge Required: 9 Minutes (at max output)
WARNING: Sustained max output may result in core damage

'That little display sucked down over five percent in under thirty seconds,' Stephen narrows his eyes. 'Seems like the more wild the feat, the harder the energy draw is, with the possibility of damage as well. Mighty interesting.' He looks up at Kurohane and Yasaka.

Kurohane seems bewildered, as if he didn't expect Kunou's toy to actually do everything it did. Yasaka…

…On Yasaka's face is a look of calculation. Her smile is drawn thin, and Stephen finally sees the crafty, ancient kitsune behind the goddess-like face. Her eyes are aglow, and one can almost see her mind working, plotting how to best use this new opportunity. The instant that she notices Stephen looking, her intense expression eases.

"Fascinating," Yasaka breathes. "Astounding, even, but surely such a power has drawbacks?" She asks, reaching down to lift her steaming cup of tea. She takes a sip. "What might they be, Stephen, and how can we help you mitigate them?"

Stephen looks down, finding that everyone at the table has their own cup. He didn't even see any servants come in. He takes his own cup and wets his throat before replying. "You're right, of course, there are drawbacks. The first and most obvious is the materials required for construction. In the handful of experiments I've been able to perform, I've found that my golems work better with purpose made components. For example, some shapes resembling eyes work just fine," he points at Alpha One's head, "but an actual, purpose made camera unit will give a golem much better vision. I suspect this holds true with any part. The gemstone cores are also a limiting factor, as size, damage, quality, and rarity all affect performance. Glass marbles and rocks are fine for golems that aren't important, but anything you want to give a real task to has to have a good core."

Yasaka nods, gesturing for Stephen to continue.

"The second bottleneck, and the one that I'm most concerned about, is the energy requirement," he says with a frown. "Each golem has to be powered with life force, and animating even one with a decent core will leave me exhausted. My most pressing goal at this time is to either find some kind of alternative fuel, enable the golems to refuel themselves, or to better increase how much life force that I can personally generate and carry. My ultimate goal on this one is for my golems to be able to sustain themselves independent of me."

"Ah, so that's why you suddenly seem so exhausted. I was wondering about that," Yasaka muses aloud. "Stephen? Can you remove your shirt for a moment? I believe I may have a temporary solution."

Stephen's brow furrows. He hid his reaction to the energy drain perfectly, so how did Yasaka know? "Remove my shirt? I'm afraid I don't follow."

The youkai woman's smile turns impish, and she rises to her feet. "I've no malicious intent, I promise."

Feeling awkward, but not wanting to disobey the woman who might be his new boss, Stephen unbuttons his shirt and sets it aside, leaving him in only his undershirt.

"Undershirt too, please," Yasaka says, her eyes dancing with mischief.

'Fuckin'…' His face warm, Stephen yanks off his undershirt, leaving his torso bare. 'I know I ain't overweight or anything, but I'll be damned if this isn't embarrassing.'

Yasaka walks around the table and around to Stephen's back. He turns his head to follow, watching her in his peripherals as she comes to a stop behind him.

Then without misstep or hesitation, Yasaka lets the top half of her kimono fall open, bearing much of her body to the world.

Stephen's jaw drops, but no sound comes out.

The gold-hewed kitsune slowly, gently drapes herself over Stephen's back, pressing her warm flesh to his. One of her arms wraps around his torso, and another around his neck, as she rests her chin on his shoulder. Her voluminous tails curl in close, and phantom like brushes of plush fur tickle his sides.

"Relax," Yasaka gently commands into his ear. "The youkai are uniquely equipped to assist you, Stephen. Was our meeting fated, perhaps?" she wonders aloud with a quiet giggle. "Senjutsu, the art of sages and youkai, was made just for the purpose of controlling life force. Let me demonstrate as I share mine with you."

As she speaks, an unreal, soothing warmth flows from her body to his. Every inch of silky skin touching his own feels hot, almost feverish, and that heat seeps down all the way to his bones. Gradually, the leaden feeling that comes from powering a golem begins to reverse, and Stephen finds his energy returning. Even some old aches and pains have faded into the background.

'This 'senjutsu' is really something… Can all youkai do this? Or is this something unique to her?' Stephen finds his thoughts growing relaxed and lethargic, quelling the fire in his stomach that Yasaka's touch set alight. He blinks and brings his thoughts back into focus. 'Don't nod off, Stephen. You're still in your job interview.'

"Senjutsu, huh?" Stephen begins, congratulating himself on not stuttering or fidgeting. "You said you're sharing your life force with me?" he asks, turning his head as best he can towards the kitsune so brazenly touching him. He glances towards Kurohane and Kunou for a moment.

Kurohane's face is as neutral as can be, and Kunou seems vaguely annoyed for some reason. Neither seem to have had much of a reaction to Yasaka flashing them. 'Ah hell. I hope this is the worst culture shock I have to deal with.'

"Indeed," Yasaka murmurs. "The more contact, the better, but this will do for now," she says, her small smile exposing one of her fanged teeth. "I'll see to it that you have a proper senjutsu practitioner at your command, should we come to an agreement. In the meantime, I've a few last questions for you. What exactly brings you to Japan, why come to the youkai?"

Despite the supernatural warmth touching him down to the core, Stephen still feels a chill, and realizes that this little interview has entered its 'make or break' stage. He can feel one of Yasaka's thumbs lightly brushing his neck, while the fingers of her other hand drum his pectoral, right over his heart.

'Waiting until you literally had a hand around my neck to ask the big ones, eh?' Stephen thinks with a rueful sigh. 'I guess that's what I get for letting my guard down. Well played, ma'am, well played.' Stephen considers what to say. 'If I was a betting man, I'd say she's got a way to sniff out lies with this senjutsu of hers, so I'd better keep this short.'

"Why Japan, and why the youkai, eh?" Stephen parrots, hoping he doesn't look nervous. "I happened to awaken Automata Gigue during an unscheduled trip here, which sort of derailed all of my plans. I used to do a lot of work for some powerful folks and for some of those assignments, it was more convenient if I didn't exist on paper, so I can't exactly go home now."

Technically, that's all the truth, he's just not providing the order in which it all happened or how it correlates.

"As for coming to the youkai? You were simply the best option," he turns his head as best he can to look Yasaka in the eye. "The youkai are close, tend to be pretty benevolent with humans, and are the most likely ones to align with my personal goals."

"Hmm…" Yasaka hums thoughtfully, one of her fox ears flicking. "And what goals would those be?"

Stephen shrugs as best he can. "A normal life was off the table the moment my Sacred Gear awakened, and that was a right disappointment, because I like to think of myself as a good, average man. What does an average man want? Fulfilling work and a place to call his own are good starts. A good man also gives back to his community and knows the importance of making a decision and sticking with it, so if you're worried about how long this partnership will last, then don't."

Yasaka takes a little longer to formulate another question. "You are an interesting man, Stephen," she purrs into his ear. "Tell me, what sort of things do you believe you can give the youkai?"

"Independence, for starters."

The fingers gently drumming on Stephen's pectoral go still.

"Another thing to thank Princess Kunou for," Stephen says with a smile towards the young kitsune, making her smile back unsurely. The hook has been thrown out, now it's time to see if he can set it. "She gave me a rough overview of supernatural politics, and I couldn't help but notice the youkai tend to be very generous when it comes to trade and diplomatic agreements, especially with the devils. I think an industrial boom would do supernatural Japan a lot of good, and set the stage for some re-examining of standing treaties. I know I can make it happen."

Off to the side, Kurohane sucks in a sharp breath as he listens, and Kunou blinks inquisitively.

"That all nicely coincides with what I want as well," Stephen continues. "I've already given the implications of my powers quite a bit of thought, and I realize that no one is gonna let me be so long as I'm unaffiliated. I could try and hide, not use Automata Gigue, but there ain't no running forever. The bad sort always want what they can't have, so it's best for me to find a place, raise myself and the folks around me so high we can't be touched, and make sure it stays that way. It ain't something I can do alone."

Yasaka's golden eyes narrow in thought, and Stephen mentally crosses fingers.

"I believe that you undersell yourself by calling yourself average, Stephen," she says, picking her words carefully. "Those are bold words."

"They are," he nods, "but they're claims I'm confident in fulfilling."

The kitsune wrapped around Stephen laughs lightly, her hold on him easing. "Ara, so self-assured. That's a trait that more men could do with having." She pauses. "The sky is the limit with your Sacred Gear, no?"

'Whew. Yasaka can be pretty menacing, can't she? It always seems like it's the pretty ones.' Stephen lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "The sky is the limit? Ma'am, if I can have my way, then I'll need to go beyond that. No need to wreck up the Earth for my projects when I could mine asteroids and dead planets."

Yasaka blinks. It's a small gesture, but it's the first time this entire meeting that she seemed off balance. Her smile returns in short order, however. She pulls away, stands, and fixes her kimono before walking back to her side of the table.

'Might be a bit improper, but I hope I get a bit more of that senjutsu down the line,' the displaced man thinks as he watches Yasaka gracefully seat herself. 'A man can get used to that.'

"So!" Yasaka brings her hands together in a cheerful clap. "Now, let's get the tedious part out of the way, shall we?" She reaches into the valley between her breasts and produces – 'Where in the world was she keeping that?' – A rolled up scroll. Setting the scroll on the table, Yasaka unrolls it, revealing a contract written in kanji.

With a sigh, Stephen picks up Comms and holds the golem over the contract. Without prompting, the phone golem turns on his camera, translating the kanji into English. "Bureaucracy, my favorite part…"

Yasaka laughs, the sound carrying both amusement and sympathy.

Negotiations and the actual signing of the contract take the better part of an hour. Yasaka, Kurohane, and any other aides who assisted in drafting the contract were extremely thorough. The contract covers more or less everything imaginable, like employment terms, acceptable conduct, expected duties, Stephen's place in the palace hierarchy, a confidentiality agreement for state secrets both in mundane and supernatural Japan, and a non-compete clause just to name a few.

In return, he gets carte blanche for his projects so long as he's furthering youkai interests, along with a team of assistants at his beck and call. The budget for his endeavors is effectively unlimited, so long as he can reasonably make a return on investment. This does come with the caveat that Yasaka can override what he's working on and put him on another project if she believes it's critical to the well-being of the Kyoto youkai.

Tellingly, the construction of weaponry is not mentioned at all, except for a very specific ban on construction of nuclear weapons. It takes a second for Stephen to puzzle out why, and when it clicks, he struggles not to wince.

With how long many youkai live, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still probably in recent memory.

The golems themselves present another interesting conundrum. They obey Stephen first and foremost, so without him around, they're functionally useless. The contract gives Yasaka and any delegates of her choosing the authority to command Stephen's golems in his absence. Kurohane and Kunou thus far the only ones with such authority.

The moment that the ink is dry on the contract, Yasaka bids them all farewell, and after giving Kunou a hug and a kiss on the head between her fox ears, briskly makes her way to another meeting.

Kurohane, with Kunou in tow, then takes Stephen back to his temporary quarters.

"With the finalization of your contract, Steele-san, we'll begin construction of permanent quarters and a workshop area for you posthaste," Kurohane says as the door to Stephen's room comes into view. "We'll also begin recruitment efforts for your assistants. Do you have any specific requirements you look for in a helper?"

Stephen shakes his head. "So long as they can follow directions and are good with their hands, I'll make do with anybody you give me," he replies. "I've gotten jobs done with some real empty headed characters in the past. I'm talkin' the kind who are about as sharp as a marble."

At his side, Kunou's face twitches as the girl withholds what was probably an undignified giggle, making the toy mecha in her hands look up at her inquisitively. "If you require capable minds, Steele-san, then I would not oppose working with you on occasion," Kunou offers, her expression prim and nonchalant.

Looking down at the girl, Stephen gives her a smile. "Swing by anytime, sweetheart. With your brain and my bots, we'll make a golden age in record time."

Kunou practically glows.

As they approach Stephen's room, Stephen takes notice of two figures standing by his door. One appears to be an exceptionally tall and broad red-skinned man with horns, while the other is a short nekomata girl.

"While we will take some time to find helpers for your work," Kurohane began speaking once more as they all stop outside the door, "we will not be remiss with Steele-san's protection. Allow me to introduce your chief guards and protectors."

The red man, who must be some type of oni, bows and introduces himself. "Steele-sama, I am Kaito of clan Arakawa. It honors me to be in your service."

As Kaito rises, the neko girl bows next. "Midori is my name, my lord. I've no family name nor clan. Please use me as you see fit."

Stephen takes a moment to inspect the pair of youkai before him.

Kaito is easily 7 feet tall, with shoulders so broad that he must have to angle himself to get through a standard doorway. Much of the oni's blood-red skin is obscured by his samurai-like armor, leaving only his face and his fingers bare. Two horns jut from his forehead and part his black locks, just as a pair of pearly fangs poke up from his mouth. On his back hangs a mighty, hexagonal club so large it looks like it should take three men to heft.

By comparison, Midori is rather diminutive and plain. The nekomata is clad in a ninja-esque ensemble of black, with a baggy shirt and equally baggy pants, each one tied off at her wrists and ankles respectively. Around her middle is a purple sash, which keeps a sheathed tanto held to her side. Behind her is a black cat tail, its color matching her cat ears and short hair. The most colorful part about her is her startlingly green eyes, which stare at Stephen dully.

"Arakawa-san and Midori-san are both blooded veterans, and well-versed in many stately matters," Kurohane picks up where he left off, addressing Stephen. "They will serve in any capacity they can, and will protect you until their final breath."

Both of the guards bow once more, and Stephen is left a touch uncomfortable.

"Well, I appreciate the sentiment for certain, even if it feels a mite unusual," the engineer inclines his head to the pair of youkai. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Kurohane nods, visibly pleased. "Today has been quite fruitful. I'll leave you to get settled in and make your preliminary plans. If there is anything you need, Steele-san, ask Arakawa-san or Midori-san, and they will see to it."

"Understood," Stephen says. "Thanks for everything today, Kurohane-san."

"Service to Lady Yasaka-sama and her palace is my privilege," the crow-tengu's beak pulls itself into a smile. "Have a pleasant rest of your day, Steele-san."

"Same to you."

With that, Kurohane turns and departs down the hall, leaving Stephen with his guards and Kunou.

"Welp," Stephen goes to stretch, but realizes he's still feeling refreshed from Yasaka's senjutsu. "Since I don't have a proper workspace yet, I'm probably just going to spend the rest of the day making checklists and doing price checks, so this should be a nice and easy first day on the job," He sends a look towards Kunou. "Will you be joining us, Princess?"

"I believe that I will."

Stephen goes to open the door to his quarters, but Midori beats him to the punch and opens it for him.

Giving the neko girl an unsure smile, Stephen walks in first, takes off his boots, and seats himself at the low table along with Kunou, who sets her golem model on the table.

Kaito leans his back against the door once everyone is inside, and Midori busies herself with making tea for Steven and Kunou.

Taking Comms from his pocket, Stephen frowns when he looks at the phone-shaped golem. 'Having to do all my work on a little phone screen is going to get old, fast.'

He hazards a look towards Midori, who is kneeling by the table and serving Kunou her tea first. "Midori?"

The neko's green eyes looked towards him. "Yes, Steele-sama?"

"Do you know where I can get a laptop around here?" He gestures awkwardly towards Comms. "And maybe a projector? I can do everything on a phone, but I prefer more workspace."

Midori finishes pouring a steaming cup for Stephen, then stands up straight. "One moment, Steele-sama. I'll acquire what you need."

In a flicker of movement, Midori vanishes, and Stephen is left blinking at her abrupt departure.

"Midori-san is a kunoichi," Kunou speaks up, seeing Stephen's bewilderment. "A female ninja. They're quite fast, and the palace has many secret paths and doors so they can come and go with ease. That's how Midori-san left the room without getting past Arakawa-san."

Stephen looks around, but doesn't see where Midori could have possibly left from. 'I'll have to scan my permanent room when I get it. I can't say I enjoy the thought of assassin hidey-holes in the same room where I sleep.'

In only a few minutes, Midori returns with the requested hardware in her arms. "Steele-sama," she greets demurely, setting both devices down on the table. "For you."

"My compliments for speedy service," Stephen smiles and pops open the laptop. Reaching into his pocket, he takes out the copper bee fitted with the sapphire Kurohane gave him. After partially unwinding the copper sculpture, he fits several copper prongs into one of the USB ports in the side of the laptop. "Golem, your new designation is Central. Leave standby and assume control of new chassis."

The laptop screen, which was on an initial set up page, flashes and then freezes. After several seconds, it skips past the set up and immediately flashes to a desktop screen. A command prompt window then opens.

Awaiting input.

'Magic AI is never not going to be cool,' Stephen grins. After hooking up the projector and turning it on, the image is projected on the wall, making everything large and easy to see. Looking at the corner of the projection, Stephen is pleasantly surprised to see that the golem has already found and connected to the (slow and crummy) wifi of the palace. 'That'll be one of the first things upgraded.'

"Alright, now we're cookin'," from the corner of his eye, Stephen can see Kunou and Kaito watching with interest, while Midori simply seems indifferent. "Central, look up the going rate for lab-grown gems in the one to three carat range and cross reference different sources for the best price available. Suppliers who can provide different gemstone types and possible bulk pricing are preferred."

Immediately, Central opens several browser instances and a spreadsheet, then resizes each window to fit comfortably on the projection. The browsers flash too quickly for the human eye to catch more than a glimpse, but for each one that passes by, another line on the spreadsheet populates. In only seconds, the laptop-bound golem has run through a dozen results and has data on several potential core providers.

'And to think that with a better core, a better chassis, a better connection, it can go even faster.'

"And while you're at it," Stephen can't contain his face splitting grin. This is everything he hoped for and more! "Begin a search for a good, pre-assembled 3D printer. Ideally we want a dozen of them. I've got a proof-of-concept I want to try out before we order proper machining equipment."

Another window opens, and Central searches away.

"Proof of concept, Steele-san?" Kunou tears her mesmerized eyes away from Central's projection to look at Stephen with an adorable tilt of her head. "What are you making?"

"There's not any one thing I'm going to be making, Princess. In fact, I'll be making a whole lot of different things with those printers," Stephen looks down to the partially unwound copper bee stuck into the laptop before him. "I'm thinking the future is modular, and the only bugs I want in my machines are the ones I put there myself."

Below are the names of some patrons who got to view this chapter early and felt like signing it. A huge thanks to them and everyone else who supports this story and everything else I write.

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