Editing City Series:Volume8a Chapter9 (section)

===Aoe’s Sight Mode: In DT Castle===

'''<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Aoe read the word mail and sighed. He ignored the noise form the door behind him and looked to Monkey instead.

Monkey was still lying down with his back turned, munching on the chocolate bar.

But Aoe did not hesitate to raise his index finger and poke at Monkey’s side from above.

Aoe saw Monkey’s limbs stiffen and back arch. Then he let go.

“We don’t have time for sulking. Show me that map.”

Monkey quickly turned around and swallowed the rest of the chocolate bar in a single bite.

A window opened in front of Aoe. It showed a hand drawn map of the castle interior. There were 5 windows on top of each other, showing the basement, the 1st floor, the 2nd floor, the 3rd floor, and the roof.

A large freight elevator to the north connected the roof to the basement and the central communication room was on the roof too.

“I just have to get there. Hey, where’s my authorization program?”

'''<Estimated download progress: 74%>

A circle showing the progress appeared next to the window. About ¾ of it was already filled with red and the number in the window next to it showed the numerical percentage ticking upwards.

Aoe sighed. He checked the map window in front of him and pressed the settings button at the very top.

He reduced its size and had it permanently displayed next to his head in transparent mode.

Now he could check the map just by glancing to the right.

''Good,'' he thought, opening and closing his right fist.

“I would love some kind of power, whether it’s a gun or whatever else.”

He smiled bitterly at his own words.

<After I was so scornful of power.>

He looked to his clenched fist.

'''“Will I be able to avoid giving up?”

A shattering glass sound came from the back of that fist.

A transparent black emblem displayed a spear symbol on the back of his hand. When he felt a slight impact on his hand, he loosened his fist.

But he clenched it again immediately afterwards.

He nodded and checked the window over Monkey’s head.

The numerical progress had already reached 97%. The one’s digit ticked up to 8 and 9 before the number briefly showed 100.

He gathered strength in his fist and said “good” to himself.

The percentage on the window suddenly reduced to 67.

“Huh?”

He looked over to see Monkey backing away.

Monkey press his back against the stone wall and frantically shook his head.

He rapidly pointed his short forelegs toward a part of the window: the word “estimated” in “estimated download progress”.

Aoe smiled when he read that. He shook his head and worked to keep some kindness in his voice.

“Are you kidding me?”

He grabbed Monkey.

Monkey gave up resisting at that point. He didn’t even shake his head. The Mouse’s optimized decision-making process had concluded a lack of resistance was best by that point.

Aoe grabbed Monkey’s cheeks and stretched them outwards.

But he was distracted by a loud metallic sound behind him. It wasn’t more of the banging on the door. It was…

“A program!?”



'''<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

The metal door shined bluish-white past the barricade.

'''<Target Dummy Data: Range Set>

'''<Excel: Effect Range: Elemental Change: Plant Material Conversion: Run>

A splitting stone sound came from the door and then it fell.

“What!?”

The door hadn’t been opened or broken.

The supposedly metal door had rippled and fallen like a poster torn from the wall. It hit the stone floor with a papery sound and gently folded up there.

Aoe looked past the barricade.

A man stood on the narrow landing through the open door.

The tall black butler had the knights behind him.

He wore a vest, a shirt, and black trousers and he stood tall, looking straight at Aoe.

He pulled a pair of white gloves from his vest’s breast pocket and put them on.

After applying the wrist clasps, he pulled a thin monocle from his breast pocket.

He put that in his right eye and stared directly at Aoe.

His thin lips parted and a low voice left them.

“I am Excel Raphael Sys, one of the Quartet who serve Master Suedomsa.”

Excel raised his right hand, rotated that in front of his chest, and bowed.

He never took his eyes off of Aoe. Nor did he smile. He simply bowed.

He straightened up again.

Aoe responded by reaching behind him, grabbing Monkey, and checking the window over the Mouse’s head.

<So it’s still receiving the program.>

A window appeared over his head. He gasped and looked up, but Excel was already speaking.

“I see. How fortunate for me that your attack power is still sealed.”

Aoe looked back down.

“You know who I am?”

“Master Algo has told us all about you. He says you are a Plus dropout who was defeated by him but has not given up on finding the strongest power.”

“Not the best introduction I could have asked for.”

“But it is the truth, is it not? I took the liberty of watching your battle yesterday and it all checked out. I heard you were here, so I thought, as a butler, I should come greet you on my way down to the Questron.”

“Did you? So are you with that Myst and Mekton I fought before?”

Aoe nodded and viewed Excel.

The knights next to Excel reached out their legs and placed their feet on the tables being used as a barricade.

They intended to kick the barricade away while simultaneously giving themselves a line of fire.

Aoe sensed that deep in his mind while another thought appeared in a window.

<But I need to hurry to Yuo’s room.>

Excel reacted to the name in that window. He frowned.

“Oh? Master Yuo, you say?”

<Mh? She is his master too? Not just Suedomsa?>

That question brought a change to Excel’s expression. He bent back a bit and gave a lopsided smile. Then he opened his smiling lips.

“That is a simple matter.”

He took a breath.

“The Quartet worked as Master Yuo’s caretaker 4000 years ago.”

'''<Aoe’s Sight Mode has ended>