Chapter Five
An introduction to the circle of lesser Nobility
"I'm Lapis. Who are you?" Android 17 asked the lady who straightened up on the couch, bookmarked her page with a blue bookmark that had been sitting on her lap and placed the book down next to her.
She gave him a simple but calm smile and responded with the excitement that a bored lady with an overactive imagination like her would normally show upon seeing an attractive young man like him.
"Straight to the point huh? Very well. My name is Lucy Whitley. I'm the second daughter of my father Lord Lucas Whitley and a Steel rank support Adventurer in my free time, though it seems I've been doing much more reading than Adventuring these days so my skills have rusted severely" She finished with a slightly embarrassed laugh that ended in a soft sigh.
She leaned forward towards Android 17, reaching her right hand out to him for a hand shake. Her hand was slim, delicate, and unblemished. Android 17 looked down at it for a moment before seemingly understanding what she wanted.
He reached out and grasped her hand in his rougher hand that was much less fragile than the woman's was, and the warmth of her hand seemed to hold his slightly longer than he did hers as he gently but firmly shook it twice before letting go.
"Nice to meet you Lucy. I just moved in to the city and haven't fully become an adventurer yet, so I'm not familiar with the terminology of Adventurers. Could you tell me about the ranks?" Android 17 asked. The woman at the guild hadn't explained the ranks, but he supposed that she would when he finished his registration.
The woman tilted her head to the side in curiosity for a moment, closing her eyes before taking a long breath and exhaling a slow exhale. Then she opened her eyes and spoke.
"I see you're not one for titles and customs. I suppose that's to be expected amongst adventurers these days, though I don't mind telling you the ranks of Adventurers, as everyone knows them, but I suppose if you are from far away it wouldn't be that queer to not know them" She finished with a bit of thought and tapped her right temple in thought with her pointer finger a few times in slow rhythmic succession. She seemed to be thinking about how she should proceed.
Then, she seemed to get a flash of inspiration before opening her purple eyes a bit wider as she removed her hand from her head and spoke again.
"The Adventurer's ranks start at Copper then go to Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold, Mithril, Orichalcum, and then Adamantite at the top of the top. I'm perfectly fine with my Steel rank, as it gives me everything I would need outside of my Title. If you want to know more, you'll have to go to the Adventurer's guild and take a pamphlet. I don't particularly feel like recanting what an adventurer does right now. Instead, I want to know more about you instead Mr. Lapis" She finished, brightening at the end.
Android 17 realized that this woman was going to be trouble, but he didn't particularly mind too much.
Looking at her, she did seem the quickly interested type, so Android 17 got an idea. He should start with a backstory, and he had a decent enough idea. Dussel. That little town out in the mountains was going to be his fall back. It was far enough away that most people wouldn't bother to check, and most people wouldn't bother anyways.
"I'm from Dussel. It's far out in the mountains to the north, and city life is pretty new to me" He said, which was true. Going to the city with his family and then running off with his sister was how he got kidnapped by Dr. Gero. The family had lived somewhat outside of the city in a large suburb area. He wondered what it might be like to go visit his family again if he ever got back to his world, but now wasn't the time for that.
The young woman's face lit up at hearing the name.
"Wonderful! I have a close friend there. Surely you have heard of her. She's the First Daughter of His Grace Joseph Platini, Luna Platini. We used to take long walks on the mountainsides with our families as children on our vacations. She's grown particularly fond of writing to me these days. After all, the children of countryside nobility rarely come to the city outside of business trips, Balls, and when summoned by the Crown" Lucy explained, and Android 17 had a recollection.
The carriage he saw with the pretty flaxen haired young lady. The young boy had said that was Duke Joseph Platini's carriage, and inside was the young lady. Perhaps that was her?
"I don't know her, but I did see her traveling in her carriage. She seemed to be in quite a hurry" Android 17 recounted.
"Yes, that must have been her, and I understand that you might not know her personally. Personally meeting the daughter of a Duke isn't an easy thing to do. Even my family took several times visiting the manor before His Grace even allowed us to interact. Ahh, but I'm getting off track here. How is Dussel this time of year? I heard that Winter Wolves had been harassing travelers on the mountain roads. I hope you didn't have trouble on your way to the Capital" She finished with a polite gesture of concern that consisted of putting her right hand hand up to her heart.
Android 17 couldn't help but give a soft laugh. Wolves, trouble him? Bah, the notion was pathetic.
"No, I made it here just fine. Not that wolves could do anything to me even if they tried. As for Dussel. There are many people there, and there have been no attacks" He knew nothing about the town's history and if anything had happened so he gave a quick lie and responded with a bit of the confidence he felt appropriate for the situation.
The woman smiled at that and responded, lowering her hand with a soft exhale.
"Ah, That is good. I didn't think you would have been troubled by them, but the mountains hold many secrets and dangers so I wasn't entirely sure" she finished with a relieved manner.
Android 17 raised an eyebrow at 'many secrets', and asked out of curiosity.
"Many secrets?" He was somewhat interested.
"Yes! Luna wrote to me three times about the rumors of a Dwarven hall deep below the mountains and that it was full of gold and precious gems. Of course she said that they were only rumors, but imagine it. An ancient Dwarven complex deep below the mountains full of all sorts of treasures and culture. It's fascinating. No dare I go further and say it's Fantastic!" She finished quite excited, fluttering her hand over her heart as to calm herself down.
However, Android 17 wasn't as excited as she was. Not that such a thing wasn't interesting or cool, but being underground wasn't exactly something he thought was fun. He enjoyed staying aboveground and flying in the sky much more than living in deep underground caves. No matter how carved and ornate the walls were.
Seeing his nonplussed attitude, Lucy's attitude dropped several levels of excitement as if someone had thrown a cold wet towel upon her head.
"I suppose I'm getting too excited over rumors" she finished, trailing off dejectedly while deflating a little.
"Anyways, that's not the only thing. I'm sure you've heard this one, but there's talk of Countess Florensia having her third child, and it's a son! Bless her and her Husband's hearts. There was talk of them only having daughters up until recently. Thank the gods it's not true. A good balanced family is always the best" She finished before looking at Android 17 with renewed vigor.
"Say, Mister Lapis. Do you have any children? You're a good age for having your first son or even second child, and you're not exactly bad looking either. If not, I'm sure I could set you up with a kind young Noble lady, Though she likely wont be from a highborn lineage" She asked curiously. In the Kingdom, Men would have their first children at the tender age of seventeen to their early twenties at the latest, and Android 17 looked somewhere in that window to her.
Android 17 who had never really thought about it outside of the occasional passing thought definitely did have preferences, but with the Dr. Gero situation and the traveling to a new world situations had completely removed that possibility at the time, but perhaps finding a nice young lady around his age and having a few kids wouldn't be bad, and he wasn't against it at all.
However, getting back to his world was important as well. Being in this frankly technologically underdeveloped world was not something he wanted. Yet at the same time, did he really want to go back? Back to the world where he was a villain, where he might be hunted down or killed? The Super Saiyans had likely grown much stronger by the time he would return, and he didn't have anyone here to train with.
In short it was a choice he would eventually have to make.
Return to his world with all the conveniences of modern technology with the chance he could be killed at any time, or stay in this old-time world and start anew with a family that wouldn't know his past. Each side had strong pros and cons.
The former was a world where he could live normally and lay low, perhaps even mending his relationship with his sister and visiting his family if he could find them again, letting them know he was still alive. Perhaps he could build a family with a young lady from his world. Maybe he could even find a job and give it the old college try.
Android 16's large form flashed through his mind. The giant android had a soft spot for Nature, and animals. He was inclined to agree with such sentiments. Animals, while possessing the ability to be vicious and violent also did not carry that destructive and maliciousness that humans like Dr. Gero did, and he felt the desire to protect the small and cute ones. The innocent and kind ones that would not harm you, more likely to run away than confront a predator.
He thought of a doe and a small fawn he had saved from a group of trophy hunters when he was flying around with little to no destination in mind back on Earth.
In this world, there was nobody who knew of him, his history, the Red Ribbon Army, Cell, or anything from Earth at all. There was surely enough beautiful women to go around. From the little he saw, the people in this world were vastly weaker than him, but there could be much stronger people hidden amongst the city and beyond. It wasn't like he could know, as he couldn't sense energy.
And it wasn't like he hadn't tried. It was just that he had no teacher and he wouldn't know where to start in the case he somehow wanted to find out the teachers of such a skill.
"Mister Lapis, are you unwell?" Lucy asked, giving him a concerned yet slightly curious look. The question did well in pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, No. I don't have any kids. I was caught up in a battle I couldn't escape from for a while. Only now do I have time to entertain such options" Android 17 answered to pull himself back to reality.
"Oh, I'm sorry for being inconsiderate. I didn't know the Royal Army had been recruiting even over in Dussel. No wonder you're not caught up on all the rumors. What is it like on the Monster front? Or have you been stationed on the damned Baharuth Empire's borders?" She asked, tilting her head with a grave face. Even without the annual wars at the Katze Plains, The Baharuth Empire was quite quick to advance into the border towns, then retreat before the retaliation from the Kingdom could begin in earnest.
Android 17 decided to go with the monster lines, but referred to Cell. If anyone had seen that monstrosity, they would definitely call him a monster. It was unmistakable. Cell was a monster that absorbed any and everyone, leaving entire cities naught but empty graveyards. The only proof of him ever being there were the thousands of outfits laying haphazardly where those poor victims were added to his biomass.
"I was fighting a particularly strong monster, though what happened to him after I left I don't know, as I came here" He finished hesitantly before speaking again.
"He beat me once. But he's probably dead now" Android 17 said, thinking about how the Saiyans could probably beat Cell, or at least Goku could. If there was one thing Dr. Gero had pounded into him other than "Kill Goku", it was "Goku is strong. Don't underestimate him".
Lucy just nodded silently.
"I don't know much, but I've heard that there are some really scary monsters on the monster front. Perhaps you can come share some stories with me back at my family's manor? I would like to share more time with you over a meal in our Rose Garden, and well, this lounge is hardly the place to exchange a true and honest conversation" She said with a hint of a blush, giving an enticing offer to Android 17.
"I'll take you up on that, though I would need your address" Android 17 responded raising his right eyebrow slightly.
"Of course. Allow me to write it down. If you're at this guild tomorrow at anytime past midday, you can ask for a carriage ride to the family manor. I'll be sure to cover the cost when you arrive if you would like it so, or I could pay beforehand if you want. After all, you're my guest" She spoke excitedly, now that she had gotten an agreement to her offer.
It seemed that she had grown somewhat fond of this mysterious young man from the mountains and wanted to bring him closer to her. Her earlier offer to set him up with a friend of hers was to test the waters, and it seemed the young man was somewhat receptive to her advances. Of course some form of restraint was required for a young lady of her status, even if she was an adventurer.
Being too forward could set this man in an uncomfortable position, and he seemed to be a bit more laid back, and even slightly arrogant depending on the topic. She liked that in him, and he had some of the prettiest blue eyes she had ever seen.
Getting up from the couch, she walked over to a nearby bookshelf that was made of a polished reddish wood and took a parchment from a stack that lay in a wooden box on the middle shelf that stood somewhere between her chest and head.
Next, she went over to the desk at the far corner of the room and took a pen and inkwell from a box that sat on the back of it.
Sitting at the desk for a moment, she began writing an address for him.
At that moment, Android 17 realized that he had gotten carried away by the moment. He still didn't know how to read, and by telling her that, he could very well destroy any connection he had made with her.
"Wait, Lucy" He called out to her.
"Can you tell me the address as well as write it down. I remember things easier when I both hear and read them" Android 17 said. It wasn't a direct lie. Doing both did help him, but it was more a lie by omission. While he didn't like maliciously deceiving people if he didn't need to, he didn't mind fibbing to ensure his safety or benefit.
"Of course. It's the Whitley Estate over on Millbury Hill. The driver will know where it is, as the Guild driver usually takes me there, and the Coachmen have a good grasp of directions as well, so you can't get lost on their watch" she half shouted from across the room, as her airy voice didn't travel too far normally. Thankfully, the room was quite quiet aside from the sounds of the adjacent rooms where other members of the Silver Tier did whatever it was they were doing.
"Gre-"
Whatever Android 17 was about to say was cut off by the lady who had gone to gather his paperwork, drinks, and food entering the room with a small black, silver strapped leather case and a wooden tray upon which sat his food and cider with silverware, a napkin made of fine cloth, and a small bowl of water in which to dip the napkin in the case he needed it.
Walking to a nearby table, she sat the tray down and took off the plate and mug of cider. Then she walked over to the Android and handed him the leather case.
"Thank you for waiting Mr. Lapis. Your papers and brooch are in this case, and any replacements will cost you, so be careful not to lose them. Is there anything else you need?" She asked him, standing attentively before him.
"No, I'm quite good, thank you" he replied, and the woman bowed to him before turning towards Lucy.
"Lady Lucy, Do you need anything?" She asked, bowing deeper to the noble lady. Courtesy and Noble status, no matter how minor were respected in the guild, and good rapport was important.
Lucy shook her head as she finished writing down the address.
"Not at the moment" She replied somewhat Blasé.
"Then I will take my leave. Good day" The attendant and receptionist said, turning and leaving the room.
Then, Lucy got up and walked over to Android 17, handing him a rolled up parchment.
Android 17 took the parchment and placed it into his coat's right pocket.
"I do so look forward to sharing time with you tomorrow Mr. Lapis. It was a pleasure having our brief but enjoyable conversation" She said, picking up her book and glasses that she had placed on the couch earlier.
"I'll see you tomorrow Lucy" Android 17 replied, already thinking that he had just made his first foray into this city's nobility.
"Yes, that you will" She jubilantly replied.
Then Lucy turned from him and left the room with a content smile and a pep in her step.
Getting up from the couch, Android 17 walked over to the empty table where his food and drink sat, he sat down and took a bite of the sandwich. The meat was fresh and soft. The fresh cider went down his throat easily, and it wasn't too sweet or sour, sitting in the middle of the taste spectrum that he considered good.
All in all, in this moment in time he felt satisfied. He hadn't actually sat down and talked with someone for quite a while after his abduction by Dr. Gero, so this was a good experience. Speaking again with the young lady wasn't a problem for him, though he was out of his depth when speaking on matters of this new world. Thankfully Lucy seemed straightforward and forthcoming with her information.
It seemed that the evening was approaching and he might have to find somewhere to stay for the night. Safety wasn't a big concern, as blades, claws, and fangs were all ineffective on him. Still, who knows what strange things might exist in this world. Also, he had made an unknown enemy. Though it was unlikely they knew where he was at the moment, as he had flown around quite a bit.
As he finished his sandwich and drink, he hailed the bartender with a wave.
The bartender Lyle, who wasn't doing much except tending to the bar on the opposite side of the lounge quickly made his way over to Android 17 and greeted him with a bow.
"Can I take your plate and cup Sir?" He asked, seeing the empty plate and cup on the tray.
"Yes" Android 17 nodded, handing the tray to the bartender who took it.
"Thank you Sir. Is there anything else you need?" He asked.
"No, that's all" Android 17 responded before standing up.
"OF course, Sir" The bartender bowed before taking the tray back towards the bar and to a room behind it. Likely a kitchen or some room of simmilar purpose.