OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilot.

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Swordstriker21
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OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilot.

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Synopsis:

Myst Evrard was your typical rural village kid. He once dreamed of fame and a life of adventure but quickly gave up on the idea after realizing he just wasn't cut out for that sort of stuff.

It doesn't really help that his best friend became a monster and demon slaying hero and his first crush turned out to be a long lost princess of the kingdom.

As he finally resolves himself to live a mundane village life, he suddenly encounters an unfortunate accident and dies. Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get any worse...

But when he opened his eyes next, fully expecting to find himself in the netherworld, what he saw was...

Giant robots?!

What the heck was going on?

***

Chapter 1: A Wonderful yet Ordinary Life of Ordinary Ordinariness
Spoiler! :
Part 1

"Wooof! *Slurp *Slurp *Slurp"

I suddenly woke up with dog saliva slathered all over my face. Not that I'm bothered by it. It's just our family dog being far too liberal with displaying her affections as always. It's quite cute actually. The only downside is me smelling a bit funny after she's done with me.

I slowly sat up on the bed and rubbed my eyes to get rid of the drowsiness. I'm not really a morning person. I moved my gaze towards the door to my room. As expected, the petite figure of my dear little sister was there; her cheeky little mouth curled up into a wry grin.

"Rise and shine big bro." greeted a bell-like voice. "Honestly, you've got to start learning how to wake up by yourself already. You've just turned twenty. You've got to start behaving like a more responsible adult. You're setting a really bad example here."

I shrugged my shoulders as I listened to her usual morning lecture. Honestly. Doesn't she ever get tired of it? Not like I hate it or anything. After all, she does have a point... or two. It's just that I can't seem to find any motivation y'know.

"You're plenty responsible already Elaine. How bout you do my share as well?" I replied half in jest.

Elaine Evrard, my hyper competent, busybody little sister, pouted cutely as she placed her hands on her waist in an attempt to look imposing.

"Geez. What's with that? You weren't always like this big bro. You've been in that state ever since Vance and Felise left the village..."

My brows furrowed involuntarily and my expression turned gloomy. Ouch. She certainly did hit a sore spot of mine dead on. After noticing my change in expression, Elaine cupped her mouth hurriedly and displayed an apologetic look.

"Big bro... I'm sorry. I..."

I got off the bed and lightly patted her shoulder.

"Nah. Don't worry about. I'm the one at fault for brooding about it after all this time anyway. Thanks for always worrying about me Elaine. And sorry for being such a no good brother."

Elaine got teary eyed and hugged me tightly on the waist. Geez. What is with this cute creature? My little sister can't be this cute!

"Big bro! Don't worry. No matter what anyone says, you'll always be my one and only big bro." she exclaimed with conviction.

Man. Just how much more loveable can she get? This little sister of mine truly was too good for me. I... I am not worthy. I'm seriously about to break into tears here.

"Wooof!"

A lively bark echoed throughout the room, breaking the moody atmosphere.

"I think Berry's saying it's time for breakfast." I said with a grin. Elaine smiled and let go of my waist. She then trotted towards the stairs with a lively gait.

"Big bro, hurry and wash up so we can eat. You know mom won't let us touch the food unless everyone's present on the table." she reminded before finally heading down. Berry, our family pet followed along.

I proceeded to the bathroom to get rid of the smell and the sticky sensation on my face. I then headed towards the dining room of our quaint village house for some breakfast.

Part 2

Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet haven't I? The name's Myst. Myst Evrard.

Quite the fancy name for a rural village guy don't you think? Apparently, the Evrard house was once a prominent noble house that produced several generations of excellent knights. But due to coming into conflict with another famous noble clan and ultimately losing out, we started to decline and were finally chased out to the outskirts of the Vandel kingdom, where we lived in exile.

That's how the story told at the periodic family gatherings went at least. Honestly however, they were little more than gossip and no evidence to substantiate those fanciful claims was ever found even if one traces back our family tree.

But it's a nice story nonetheless. Not to mention a great time waster. The kids seemed to love it anyway. Heck even I was completely enamored with it back when I was young and didn't know any better.

Come to think of it, hearing those stories might be one of the factors that contributed greatly to me wanting to be an adventurer back then, only to have reality slap me in the face. Hard. Honestly, why are kids so damn gullible?

***

"Good morning dear. Have you groomed yourself properly? And you didn't forget to wash your hands did you?"

My mother's smiling face greeted me as soon as I arrived at the dining table. Melissa Evrard - my awfully young looking fourty-something year old mother. Her long silky brunnete hair, smooth skin and delicate figure were the envy of the village housewives and spinsters. Heck even our villages young maidens were jealous of her killer combination of youthful looks and mature charm. She did tend to overly dote on her children though.

"Yep. All cleaned up." I replied casually.

"Well, now that Myst is here, can we start eating already?" a deep, masculine voice echoed from across the table.

My dad, Lucian Evrard, made a pleading look as he asked my mother for permission to start digging in.

Even though he looked like a seasoned veteran warrior, he was actually a big softy, especially towards mom. They made quite a pair actually. Incidentally, he's also the village chief.

"Ehehe. Dad's stomach is already making funny noises mom. I think we really need to start eating before it gets any worse." quipped a familiar bell-like voice. It's my little sister, Elaine Evrard. She inherited mom's glossy brunette hair and good looks. She tied her hair up in a cute twin tail style and possessed a cheerful and somewhat fussy personality.

"Look. Even Berry's starting to get impatient." Elaine pointed out while giggling happily. Our family pet truly did look a bit impatient as she vigorously wagged her tail.

Despite the cute name, Berry was anything but cute. She's a cross between a regular dog and a type of lupine monster species called Rouge Fang. My mom found her wounded and nearly dead as she was picking herbs within the nearby Fiora forest. She brought her home and nursed her back to health along with my sister, so she's quite attached to the two of them.

She lacked the usual wild and ferocious nature of a full blooded Rouge Fang. But despite that, she's still about twice as big compared to a regular large dog. She did have a unique charm though. Instead of her fur being blood red, it's carnation pink - except for a particular spot on the center of her forehead which rather curiously resembled a red heart mark.

She's become our official family mascot. She can be rather sweet. But piss her off and you'll be on the receiving end of her pearly white (and rather sharp) fangs. She beats any regular guard dog, that's for sure.

And then, there's me. The one and only Myst Evrard. Seeing as the other members of my family (plus the family pet) have really distinct features and personalities, one would expect me to be the same right? Well, unfortunately, that's not the case. Far from it actually.

The wonder that is moi can actually be described in one single world: ordinary.

I have no distinctive features. My looks, while far from abhorrent, can't exactly be called handsome or dashing either. My height is average compared to my peers. My build ain't skinny. But it ain't buffed either. I'm not particularly gifted academically. My physical capabilities are average at most. I have average mana capacity as well. And my skills with a sword, spear or bow can be considered as barely passing.

Hence, I'm your average guy. As ordinarily ordinary as they come. The poster boy for ordinariness. If you think of "ordinary", chances are you'll think of me.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I'm ordinary. You got that? It's not like I'm sulking or anything you idiots!

Well, I think you get the point.

Part 3

After the meal (which was delicious, as always), my father and I headed out for work. Mom and Elaine started their day by fussing over the plants and vegetables in our garden as Berry lazed around nearby.

Mom's the village pharmacist. It's said even just her smile could heal. There's even a rumor of people injuring themselves willingly just to see her.

My dad's the village chief but he's also the villages best blacksmith. He used to take in loads of commissions for weapons an armor during the war with the demons. Now, he just makes various tools and implements. His kitchen knives became an instant hit with the ladies because of their beauty, sharpness and balance.

I walked down towards the village entrance. Lindorf, this little village out in the sticks is my home. Despite not having any distinctive features or specialties, our village still gets plenty of visitors due to it being one of the stops along the road towards the kingdoms southern border.

Adventurers and merchants pass through our village for some rest while in the middle of traveling towards the neighboring Almadeus theocracy. My job is basically being a village guard cum village guide/receptionist. I greet and inspect the people that come to our village and provide some friendly directions for first timers. Service with a smile and all that. I also alert the other village guards whenever I encounter suspicious individuals. It's not the most exciting job in the world. But hey, it's better than nothing.

I greeted some of the villagers along the way. They're all relatively friendly folk. But some of the younger generation can get a bit annoying at times.

"Hey look guys. It's Myst. He looks as gloomy and miserable as always. I can't believe he's childhood friends with Lord Vance and Queen Felise." a lanky young man quipped.

"Sssh. Quiet down! He'll hear you. He may be a good for nothing but he's still the village chiefs son." a thin eyed young woman warned.

I already heard you, idiots. And which part of me looks gloomy? Okay, maybe I do have a bit of a depressed look recently. But I make sure to put out my best "business" smile whenever I take up my post. And seriously, a good for nothing? I may not be anything special, but at least I'm not "bottom of the barrel" useless. There are guys who are much worse off than me even in the village.

Damn. This is unjust resentment. I want a lawyer. I do have an inkling as to why they're so critical towards me however.

Simply put, they're just jealous.

Why the skeptical look? I'm serious here. No, really. I'm not pulling your leg.

They're not jealous of "me". Not exactly. They're jealous because I happen to be childhood friends with both the dashing and powerful hero who slew the demon king and brought peace to the continent and the beautiful and brave princess who, after spending her childhood hidden in a small out of the way village to stave off some traitorous nobles who were after her life, made a triumphant return after the king, who had been turned into a puppet ruler by said nobles, breathed his last. She staged a successful coup, deposed the corrupt nobles and rallied the various allied nations under one united front against the threat of a massive demon uprising. She was finally crowned queen after the demon armies defeat.

Amazing isn't it? They both sound like larger than life individuals and I'm childhood friends with both of them. Not that this little tidbit counts for anything really. They both seem so far away now. And to think I can still vividly recall their smiling faces whenever I close my eyes...
Chapter 2: The Unlikely Tale of the Hero, the Maiden and Villager A
Spoiler! :
Part 1

Vance Rayleigh and I were the best of friends. He was a naughty, hyperactive kid who liked to cause trouble. But he was also quite smart and charming. He held a certain charisma even as a child and you really can't help but follow the guy no matter what sort of trouble he gets you into.

That's what I did anyway. I was his partner in crime. We did many crazy things together. As for what those things were, I'll leave that to your imagination.

Then there was Felise Hayward. She was a veritable goddess. And I'm not exaggerating. She truly was beautiful. She had a sweet, gentle yet firm and unyielding personality. All the village kids admired her. The sight of her lustrous flame red hair fluttering in the wind as she walked elicited admiring sighs from both the young and old folks in the village.

She also had Vance and I wrapped perfectly on her little finger. Whenever we went to cause some mischief, she'd be there to reign us in and prevent us from going overboard.

She was also my first crush.

You really can't blame me for falling for her though. Heck, most of the guys in our age group had crushes on her. She even charmed some of the girls.

Well, all except for one guy. Vance, that idiot, was as dense as a rock. He was more interested in swords and adventurers than girls. Somehow, it seemed quite appropriate though.

Part 2

Vance and I dreamt of being adventurers. He was in it for the thrill and excitement of an unbridled life. I was in it for silly things like wanting to restore the Evrard house to its (rumored) former glory and attaining the hand of my lady love. I was a kid. Kids tended to have some pretty crazy dreams.

We were able to study the sword under Felise's grandfather, Galvan Hayward, after a few rounds of passionate (i.e. desperate) pleas (i.e. shameful begging).

I was pretty into it at first. I followed the assigned training menu religiously. I did my best during spars. I filled several bundles of parchment with research notes about the stances and techniques of the Sevenfold Paths of Radiance sword style that grampa Galvan taught us. Most of it were just incoherent scribbles though.

I even had the gall to declare that I'd use my sword to protect Felise forever. She showed me a meaningful and somewhat mysterious smile whenever I did that. I was too caught up with myself to notice anything though.

But after a while, the huge difference in talent between Vance and me became readily apparent. He absorbed gramps' teachings at an alarmingly fast rate. It didn't take long before Vance completely surpassed me in skill, technique and strength. I was no longer a worthy opponent for him in spars.

It's not like I was particularly bad at swordsmanship. Vance was just too overwhelmingly gifted at it. Even grampa Galvan started to have trouble with him shortly after he took over as a sparring partner.

I was proud of him. I really was. He was my best friend after all. But I can't deny being jealous of him either. It's an ugly feeling. But I can't deny it.

The difference in the looks gramps gave to the two of us when we graduated from his tutelage made it much worse.

With Vance, there was a look of overwhelming pride. There were even hints of awe and reverence.

But, as for me, what stood out was pity. I was being pitied. Gramps tried not to show it, but I could tell. And I was truly bothered by it.

Maybe Vance's talent was just that overwhelming. It made me seem all the more drab and, well, ordinary. But even so, I thought that this still didn't justify the look of pity gramps gave me.

I was still decent with a sword wasn't I? Okay, well, barely decent. But I could still put up a fight. I wasn't useless. But that look took a serious toll on my self-esteem.

Felise did admonish gramps about the obvious difference in treatment - a small consolation. But I still felt down in the dumps. Vance being as oblivious as always didn't help either.

Part 3

I can't ever forget the look of disappointment on Vance's face when I decided not to go with him to register at the local adventurers guild in the neighboring town of Ambrose.

Even the usually dense Vance sensed something from my attitude back then. We stood in silence for quite some time after I broke it to him. We did promise to start adventuring together after our training ends after all.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to follow after him anymore. I was afraid - afraid I might eventually come to hate him if I continued staying by his side.

I knew I was being unreasonable. I shouldn't have let jealousy get the better of our friendship. But I was already deeply mired in it. I was simply being petty. And not a day goes by that I don't regret the way we parted ways that time.

I was the only one who kept up with him no matter what kind of mischief he engaged in. He did tend to get carried away and often overdid his pranks after all. I covered for him whenever we got busted by the adults. Being the village chiefs son, my words did hold some weight. So we got off not getting the worst out of it.

We used to think we were inseparable. But it turned out not to be the case. My insecurities won out in the end. It was the worst.

But what got me the most was that he didn't blame me. He might have even blamed himself.

Before Vance went on to start his adventuring career, he tapped me on the chest with his fist in a familiar gesture. I was supposed to tap him back. It was a good luck charm as well as a sign of faith. I didn't return the gesture and just continued to stare at him stiffly. He showed me a strained and helpless smile.

That was the first and last time I got to see him truly close to tears. He departed for Ambrose soon after.

Part 4

Things got awkward between Felise and me after Vance left. I was still caught up in conflicting emotions and continued to sulk while sporting a gloomy expression.

She often got out of her way to hang out with me despite my attitude. She never said anything. She just simply sat by my side. But that was enough. It was more than enough.

Truth be told, I thought she would hate me. I went back on my word and betrayed the hopes of my best friend just because of some unreasonable inferiority complex. I thought she would be disillusioned. But not once did I hear any words of admonishment coming from her.

Instead, she continued to silently support me. She was waiting for me to open up. But I never got the chance to express my feelings. Fate would not allow me to.

***


It happened so suddenly. Armed men came to the village and requested an audience with my dad, the village chief. They demanded to see the former Royal Guard commander Galvan Hayward.

I got confused. Old grampa Galvan was a knight commander? And to top it off, he led the Royal Guard. They were the crème de la crème of the knight regiments of Vandel kingdom - the true elites. Whenever they spearheaded the army at the behest of the king, all the kingdoms opponents trembled in dread.

If so, why was gramps out here on the sticks? Even if he retired due to old age, normally, he would have been given an important position as an advisor to the king and the royal family. Or perhaps, he would have been made the dean of the Vandel Royal Knight Academy to nurture the next generation.

Here in Lindorf, he was just your plain old village guard captain. Hes also commonly referred to as an eccentric who preferred to hunt wild boars using only his sword and his sturdy body, even at his age.

Well, come to think of it, there were indeed some signs pointing that he wasnt exactly ordinary. But still, former Royal Guard commander was just too much of a jump in status. My poor fourteen year old mind couldnt keep up. And to think I was going to be officially recognized as an adult on my next birthday

I was out of it for most of the conversation between the men and my father. But some words got stuck in my mind.

“A major change in the situation…”

“An impending war with the demons…”

“The king dying because of a disease…”

“Suspicions of treachery…”

“A deal between the demons and some of the kingdoms nobles…”

“A change is needed…”

“A symbol of hope…”

“Princess Felise…”

I was jolted awake.

“No way…” I thought.

“It can’t be…” I thought.

An incomparable sense of anxiety and unease came over me.

“Not her too…”

Part 5


My fears were confirmed after gramps came and brought Felise over with him to meet the men. They knelt down and greeted her with utmost respect and reverence.


They all called Felise princess. She didnt get flustered, but instead took it all in stride as if it was but natural. And then, she turned to me.


Her face displayed that meaningful yet strangely mysterious and somewhat uneasy smile she gave me from time to time. Only at this moment was I finally able to grasp some of its meaning.


I really am a self-centered fool I thought.


***


The men really were members of the current Royal Guard who remained loyal to the royal family. They told us that they could no longer sit still and do nothing as the nobles ambitions threatened the very foundations of the kingdom they loved and swore to protect. The last straw was a suspected conspiracy between the nobles and the demon army which was currently annexing parts of the neighboring Silvanus Union in open rebellion against the humans and other races of the continent.


The nobles had seized power after forcing the rest of the royal family into exile and making the king into a puppet ruler. They had the support of a part of the Royal Guard forces and most of the military. Those loyal to the royal family were either exiled, executed due to trumped up charges or forced to submit through threats of violence against them and their loved ones.


They had been cowed and humiliated for years.


This was all news to me. The people had felt the worsening state of the kingdom long before. The state of living for commoners, especially in the royal capital, rapidly deteriorated in recent years. The nobles did as they pleased and didn't listen to the cries of the people.


But we all thought the king had been privy to all the abuses and simply refused to act against them. Some even secretly resented the royal family but were too powerless to do anything about it. All signs of rebellion were stamped out before they could even gain some sort of momentum.


Attempts by commoners to smuggle themselves out of the capital, and even out of the country frequently occurred, but few succeeded. Grampa Galvan and Felise were some of the few that did. That's how they got to Lindorf. But I never could have imagined that the royal family also fell victim to those corrupt nobles and that our village had been housing a royal princess all this time.


Most attempts to escape were thwarted. But the few who did manage it were never pursued. It was like the nobles couldn't be bothered to focus on such endeavors.


Thus, gramps and Felise had managed to safely disappear from the nobles sights. But the men who came were imploring for Felise to take the helm and spearhead a massive coup de tat with her as the central figure. This was in order to stop the kingdom from falling into the demons hands because of a deal made by the nobles that supposedly ensured their rights to rule by handing the country over without a fight.


"As if those damned demons would spare their pitiful lives!" a sharp eyed man who was apparently the leader of the group spat out.


The deep resentment of the demons for all other races that lived in the continent was quite well known. Centuries of open animosity and oppression towards their kind fostered their hate. Although it had somewhat abated during our generation, a majority of the continents populace still treated demon-kind as a scourge upon the land.


The humans and elves in particular, had staged many subjugation attempts to drive them out of the continent. We had succeeded in confining them within the Al-Zeberuk wastes - an unforgiving land where death lurks in every corner.


They were supposed to wither away in that hell. But somehow, they came back. And they were extremely pissed off.


They began conquering the scattered tribes which lived in the wastes borders and have now pushed well within the Silvanus Union, and will continue to head to the heart of the continent if nothing stops their advance.


Part 6


The Silvanus Union consisted of the high elven forest-city of Yllyr, the dwarven city of Giliead and the human cities of Myrn and Vendice. They held the most power and influence in the northwest areas of the continent. But now, they were in a desperate struggle against the demon forces and are close to falling.


As the rogue knights relayed the information, everyone's countenance gradually turned grim.


Perhaps, blinded by fear of the might of the demon army, the nobles had quickly agreed to the demons proposal of guaranteed ruling rights without realizing they were being fooled. Most likely, the demons were just doing this to preserve their forces. After all, no matter how powerful a force, casualties are inevitable. Their reproductive abilities are low, so the demons manpower is quite limited. If they manage to take Vandel without bloodshed, they'd be poised to attack the Almadeus theocracy with their full strength.


After Almadeus falls, there will virtually be nothing stopping them from taking over the entire central continent.


***


Grampa Galvan recognized that the situation was indeed dire. But he still held reservations. Why call upon the child of the king and a commoner borne out of wedlock in an illicit affair to be the heart of a coup de ta to reinstate the royal family? The king still had a number of children, each brilliant in their own right, who could possibly succeed the throne.


The rogue royal guard knights smiled bitterly after his question. They once again dropped another shocker - every other member of the royal family is dead. The nobles were very thorough. They eliminated all that may hinder the deal they made with the demons. All except for one that is.


True, the nobles were fools. They deferred the elimination of the royal family loyalists within the royal guard because they enjoyed watching them suffer indefinitely under their oppression. This, along with their deal with the demons, showed they prioritized impulsive whims instead of sound logic. But they did succeed in silently taking over the kingdom, so they couldn't be underestimated.


Felise had managed to avoid their notice because only a handful knew of her existence. But now that the nobles have a precedent for getting serious in rooting out rogue elements, it was only a matter of time.


Gramps nearly fainted from his seat. Felise's expression turned dark. The situation was more pressing than they thought.


Finally, with a determined look, Felise had agreed to take up the mantle as the last remaining royalty of Vandel kingdom in order to bring the nobles to justice and to protect the country from the approaching threat of demon invasion.


Part 7


I was dumbstruck. Things got crazier and crazier and my thoughts were swept up by a tide of confusion and worry.


Felise was the last remaining princess of the kingdom and now she was headed towards a dangerous battle for the kingdoms survival. That was way over my head. I didn't know how to take it. What could someone like me do in a situation like that?


Felise suddenly entered my room while I was immersed in my thoughts. That caused my mind to instantly grind to a halt. Why was she in my room? In a boy's room. At night. I panicked even more when she sat down right next to me on the bed.


Then she spoke.


"It's just as you've heard." she began.


"I have the blood of the king flowing through my veins. He wasn't always the ideal father. But, for a time, when he spent his days with me and my mother, I was truly happy."


Her expression grew solemn. Hints of melancholy were present within her clear, jade colored eyes.


"I... I've decided to take on the responsibility of leading this kingdom. I know it's presumptuous of me. It's certainly going to be difficult. I know nothing when it comes to being a leader. But if... If someone were by my side to support me... Then perhaps..."


The distance between our faces gradually shrank and we could feel each others breaths. And, at this moment, I did one thing I would regret for the rest of my life.


I turned away.


That effectively served to ruin the mood. Felise flushed red and her eyes wandered restlessly across the room. In the end, she gave a quick apology and went out of my room with panicked steps.


***


Why did I turn away?


I wussed out, that's why.


I knew that she wasn't requiring anything unreasonable of me. She only wished for me to stay by her side, just as she had for me. But is that truly alright?


She was about to undertake something with the lives and futures of countless people hanging in the balance. Was it truly okay for someone like me to stay by her side? Will I be forgiven for something so selfish? I'm sure quite a few will not recognize my worth to be with Felise. And I held those doubts myself.


A part of me was saying "To hell with that!". But in the end, my insecurities won out once more.


And so, I turned away.


***


The carriages departed at the dead of night the following day.


I kept going back and forth with wanting to accompany Felise and holding myself back.


When I finally decided to see her, the carriages had already departed in the distance. A flash of crimson came from the carriage window.


I couldn't see her face.


But why did I feel she was in tears?


-Chapter 2 End-
Last edited by Swordstriker21 on Fri Aug 14, 2015 1:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Swordstriker21
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Favourite Light Novel: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, Mushoku Tensei, Madan no Ou to Vanadis, TAMnI: NT, Heavy Object, Campione..... My word, the list goes on and on!

Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 3: The Whims of Fate Truly are Unpredictable
Spoiler! :
Part 1


"Hey young'un! Stop your daydreaming and take up your post. Something tells me it's gonna be quite busy today."


An aged voice snapped me out of my trip to memory lane.


Mr. Len Reynolds is the longest serving active village guard in Lindorf. He still refuses to retire even at the ripe old age of sixty five. He also had this weird rivalry with grampa Galvan back when he was still in the village. They once entered a honeyed bread eating contest during one of our annual spring festivals. It didn't end pretty...


"I told you to stop spacing out and get into your post you blasted youngster. That old fogey Galvan didn't teach you nuthin bout discipline! I'll whip you nice and proper and turn you into a respectable adult yet. That'll show that geezer... Quitting while he's ahead... The old fool..."


I couldn't help but smile at his remarks. Regardless of how they treated each other outwardly, I guess gramps and Mr. Reynolds could still be counted as friends. And he wasn't exactly the picture of youth himself. Though his enthusiasm could put all of us "youngsters" to shame.


As soon as I stationed myself on the guard booth just outside the village gate, the sound of hooves trotting resounded from the road.


"Hello again lad. It's nice to be back out here after so long. Sure beats lazing around in a dreary office all day. Wahahaha!"


The lively greeting came from a tall, portly man sporting a rather distinct beard. He's Milton Pavel, the founder of the Pavel trading firm and a long time family friend. He was leading a large caravan filled with merchandise, presumably on his way to Almadeus for trade.


"Hello uncle Milton. I thought you're already relegated to administrative duties. Don't tell me you ran away from Matilda again." I greeted back.


"Pah! That ungrateful daughter of mine. I keep telling her life cooped up in one place just isn't for me. But she just wont listen. That stubborn fool. Takes after her mother too much I tell ya!" uncle Milton complained.


Matilda Pavel was uncles eldest daughter and his most talented protege. Uncle planned to hand over the firm to whoever displayed most talent to make business flourish from among his associates. Blood ties were meaningless. But his own daughter blew past all the competition and led the firm to its most prosperous period yet since its founding. Uncle may say otherwise, but deep inside, I know he's very proud of her.


My mood dampened somewhat after thinking of the lively young woman with an uncanny eye for prime opportunities and possessed decisiveness and nerves that rivaled even the most seasoned merchants in the continent.


"So different from me..." I muttered.


"What's wrong lad? You look out of it." uncle Milton asked. I shook my head and fixed my downcast expression.


"It's nothing uncle. Anyway, you're quite early this time. The Lumia festival's still next month. Why'd you bring so many wagons with you?" I asked out of curiosity.


"Oh, those eh? Well, they're for transport. I've been commissioned to buy a large amount of goods from Almadeus by the kingdom." uncle Milton answered readily.


"Must be a huge deal." I remarked in an amazed tone.


"Well, yes... You could say that." uncle replied with a little less enthusiasm in his voice.


"Hey idiot! Stop holding us up and clear the way. We're in a hurry here. We need to buy those souvenirs for the royal wedding pronto!" a young boy shouted impatiently. The boy, Milo Pavel, was uncle's only son and also his youngest child.


He was as impertinent as ever. But getting annoyed with him was the thing furthest away from my thoughts right now. Something about what he said really bothered me.


"Uncle... What's he saying?..." I asked with a trembling voice. I desperately wanted to deny the possibility. I truly hoped I only heard wrong.


"Uh... Well... You see lad... The thing is..."


Uncle Milton couldn't give me a straight answer and started to beat around the bush. It made my chest tighten uncomfortably even more. Milo's next words drove it in with finality.


"I said we need to buy souvenirs for the royal wedding between the celebrated hero of the continent, Lord Vance Rayleigh and our beloved Queen Felise Altasia Vandel! A match made in heaven if I do say so myself." Milo quipped with a know-it-all attitude.


With that...


My heart sank.


Part 2


Come to think of it, this outcome was pretty much expected.


Vance rapidly rose to fame as an adventurer and was granted the highest rank in the trade, the Overdragoon rank, at the tender age of sixteen. He then met up with Felise after getting caught up in a battle between the forces of the corrupt nobles and the royal family loyalists. He proceeded to lend his aid to her and became one of her most trusted aides.


When the war with the demons began, he rendered feat after unrivaled feat, defeating a majority of the demon lords most trusted generals in the field of battle.


When he finally defeated the demon lord, his name was already carved in history and became the stuff of legends. He was hailed as the greatest hero of our time.


He was even called things like "The Princess' Champion" and "The Queens Peerless Knight".


I gathered those tidbits from the bards and actors passing through Lindorf a while back.


It wouldn't be strange for the people to support the wedding of the great hero and his beloved queen. Unlike me, Vance was able to stay by her side and become her strength after all.


It makes so much sense in my head. But my heart refuses to accept it.


"Big bro..."


I looked up to see my little sister with a worried expression on her adorable face. I tried to smile to reassure her, but my face cramped up and the best I could manage was a broken grin.


Elaine pulled me towards her. She placed my head on her bossom as I leaned on her sideways. She then proceeded to stroke my hair gently.


Really now. To be comforted by my little sister of all things. Just how pathetic could I get?


I've cooped myself inside my room all day after I heard the news. I even ran away from work while being scolded by Mr. Reynolds earlier this morning. I couldn't manage to crack a smile or hold an amiable conversation even if I wanted to right now anyway.


It seems my little sister has already heard the news as well, so she headed to my room in worry. It was warm in her embrace. But this wasn't gonna last either.


She was going to head for the Almadeus theocracy next month to enroll in Luminaris Magic Academy under a scholarship. Her talent in holy magic was extraordinary and the village priest recommended to nurture her gift. From what I was told, she held the potential to ascend to the position of Light Oracle. So, in the end I'll be left behind again.


Actually, I knew in my heart that part of why I'm in such a sorry state right now was caused by myself. I was just running away from that fact.


The door to my room was suddenly flung open.


"Mom!" Elaine exclaimed.


"Hello dear. How is your brother holding up?" my mother asked in a worried tone.


"Well... He's like this mom." Elaine replied and patted my head lightly.


"Oh, I see. Well then... Could I bother you to step outside for a little bit dear? I need to have a little heart to heart talk with your brother." mom instructed. Was it my imagination, or did I just hear her crack her knuckles?


Elaine went out obediently and left me alone with mom. If I had known what was to follow, I would have desperately clung to my little sister as I begged my mom for mercy. Alas, twas already far too late for regrets.


"Well then dear... Time for a little bit of tough love." my mom declared with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.


I broke into a cold sweat and prepared for the worst.


Part 3


I woke up the following morning somewhat feeling more at peace with myself despite my body aching all over. Mom really talked some sense into me last night.


I cried my heart out for the first time in years ever since two of the most important people in my life left our village for greater things, leaving me behind. Though I'm unclear how much of it was due to grief or to the pain and fear I was subjected to last night...


In any case, I've already resolved myself to go and see the two of them during the wedding. Uncle Milton actually had an invitation addressed to me but had a hard time thinking of how to break the news yesterday. He knew us since childhood so he did have an idea regarding our circumstances.


I'm thankful for his concern. Milo was just too blunt. Well, he's just a brat after all.


Anyway, seeing them would probably allow me to sort out my own feelings. But, more importantly, I want to properly apologize to the two of them.


For a lot of things.


Maybe after doing that, I can also begin forgiving myself.


***


The day of the wedding was fast approaching. I prepared to head out with a merchant caravan returning to the capital after selling their wares.


Mom and dad bade me a safe trip. Berry barked at me encouragingly. Elaine sent me a letter wishing me good luck. She was already on route to Almadeus but still went out of her way to send a letter via carrier pigeon.


My heart was light.


Lighter than it ever has these past five years.


The coaches started heading out one by one a few moments later.


***


Before we reach the main road leading to the capital from Lindorf, we must first cross the Elmoore mountains.


It wasn't a hard journey, except for a particular section where we needed to navigate the cliff side. But the way was still relatively wide so the danger of falling was very low.


Or so we thought.


That assumption was overturned a few moments after we got halfway through the cliff.


A rock slide happened. Apparently, this section of the mountains had been subjected to heavy downpour last night. The soil was very moist and the area on top of the cliff had been cleared out of large trees due to unrestricted logging.


We were unfortunate enough to get caught up in it. Curse me and my rotten luck!


A mother was hysterically calling her young daughters name. I was actually with said daughter. More specifically, I was holding on to her to prevent her from falling with my right hand and was holding on to a branch that stuck out from the side of the cliff with my left.


My arms were gradually getting tired. I glanced at the child below me. She looked at me with eyes filled with bottomless dread. I gritted my teeth in resolve.


I poured mana towards my limbs and activated bodily enhancement magic. It was one of the few magic techniques I was competent in. I concentrated the mana on my arms and threw the child back up with all my strength. She crashed right towards her mother who frantically embraced her.


Just as I was preparing to launch myself up as well, another accident happened. The branch broke.


Damn!


Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!


This can't be happening!


It just can't.


Why is my life suddenly flashing before my eyes?


What kind of sick joke is this?


Why is life so unfair?


Even death is no better!


This is just too cruel.


I... I haven't even seen them again yet...


I still haven't managed to apologize...


My tears continued to stream out from my eyes and kept scattering in the air as I fell.


I let out an anguished howl.


There was unimaginable pain.


Then it all went black.


Part 4


My body felt weightless. There was no sound present either. I couldn't even hear my own heart beat. But that was natural.


After all, I'm already dead.


Was this the netherworld?


"How fitting." I thought.


It was pitch black.


A black void.


A world of nothingness.


Or so I thought.


There was something there. Releasing an ethereal glow, it came ever closer.


A glowing iron giant.


"A guardian of the netherworld?" I thought.


My senses grew dull once more. I felt them slowly fading.


The giant gradually disappeared from my consciousness.


And there was darkness once more.


***


"Doctor! Doctor Karasawa!" a girl yelled frantically.


"What is it this time Nemu? I'm kind of busy doing autopsies on the bodies of the corpses right now. If it's another crew member getting space sick, just grab the medicine right over there. Should make em right as rain in no time." a bespectacled middle aged man replied in a grumpy tone.


The girl shook her head vigorously.


"That's not it doctor. We found one. We found a survivor."


The man looked at her skeptically.


"Nonsense. There are signs indicating a widepread genion particle attack as cause of death for most of the subjects. Even if their units managed to avoid total destruction, unrestricted exposure to the particle would have still shut down all bodily vital functions. Having survivors is impossible." the man denied.


The girl strode forward and cupped the man's cheeks with both her hands while pouting.


"WE! HAVE! VITALS! HE! REALLY! IS! ALIVE!" she asserted.


The man, cowed by the girl's forceful insistence, reluctantly followed after her to take a look.


His eyes widened to saucers as soon as he saw the said survivor.


"My word... He truly is alive."


He turned to the girl with an incredulous expression.


"Nemu... It's a miracle!"


-Chapter 3 End-
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 4: Confusion, Conspiracy and Awakening of a Nurse Fetish
Spoiler! :
White walls.


I woke up to find myself surrounded by white walls.


No, why did I wake up in the first place? Wasn't I supposed to be dead? Or was this place the netherworld? I thought it would be more gloomy and foreboding.


"Ah! Doctor Karasawa, the patient's awake."


"Hm? Oh, he's awake huh? Let's see..."


A young melodious voice followed by a somewhat sloppy sounding male baritone. Are they also souls that departed to the afterlife like himself? Or are they actually the residents of this place. The so called "guides".


My eyes slowly regained their focus. I began to look for the source of the voices. What came into view was a tall, slick haired male who wore glasses and a young girl who had her long, lustrous black hair tied up into a neat ponytail.


The man had a spotless white robe over his strange looking clothes. The girl's attire was both strange, whimsical and quite revealing. She only had light pink robe-like clothes on, which were really form fitting and emphasized her developing figure quite well. It barely reached halfway down to her thighs. Her slender legs were covered with white cloth which went up to just above the knee, exposing a fair amount of skin. She also wore a strange headdress of the same color as her clothes.


Truth be told, I had a hard time looking away from her. Even in death, a man's desires can never be underestimated...


"Strange..." I thought.


For beings that resided in the realm of the dead, they surely looked quite... human-like. They also appeared tangible. Almadeus beliefs surely preached that dying will purge us from our physical forms and we will continue on as ethereal spirits, residing in the realm of the dead to be purified and finally sent back to the material plane in accordance to the Great Cycle, as the great goddess Alma wills.


But the beings in front of me looked like anything but ethereal spirit entities. The girl's lovely legs certainly looked quite solid and supple...


No!


What's wrong with me? My improper thoughts will surely get me reincarnated into a bug. I need to resist the stirrings of my male heart...


"Doctor, he still looks in pain." the girl exclaimed worriedly.


Crap. Did my thoughts show in my expression? I frantically tried to put on my best poker face.


"Hm? Sure doesn't look like that to me." the man she addressed as "doctor" replied.


He then approached me and touched my face. His gloved hands felt rather cold. But strangely enough, it wasn't really uncomfortable.


"No signs of any obvious aftereffects. Complexion looks quite normal. Temperature's good too. I'm gonna have to observe him for a few more hours just to be sure. But it does seem he's recovered from the worst of it."


The girl's expression brightened after the man's lengthy exposition. She was actually pretty cute. The man turns to me once more and smiled wryly.


"Hello there lad. You certainly have the devils luck. You're extremely lucky to be alive. Especially after unrestrained genion particle exposure of that magnitude." he said in a cheerful tone.


Alive?


Who?


Me?


How?


Why?


Lots of questions started popping up inside my head. It seems this place really isn't the netherworld. But, if so, where exactly is this place? And why was I here? Was I really alive? Did I really survive a fall from that sort of height?


No! More importantly, what day is it? Can I still make it to the wedding?


I tried to stand up in panic. But my strength failed me and I staggered.


"Steady there sir. You haven't made a complete recovery yet. Don't overdo it."


The girl pushed me back down firmly on the bed I was apparently lying down on. My body really did feel weak. I couldn't resist her at all. The fact that she smelled nice didn't help either.


"I'm sorry miss. But I really have to go to the capital fast. How long was I out? Is it still the fourth day of the month of Aelios? Where are we anyway? Are we far from Vandelas? Has the wedding between the hero and Vandel kingdoms queen concluded already? Please. Tell me miss. I need to know!"


I unleashed a barrage of questions on her in panic. I was met with a confused expression. Of course I was. That was a bit rude of me after all. But I really need to know if I could still make it. If not, then it'll be another thing worth apologizing to Vance and Felise for.


"W-What are you talking about sir? Vandelas? Kingdom? Hero? Queen? D-Doctor! This is..."


The girl quickly turned flustered and gazed back towards the man wearing glasses with a worried look.


I sensed something was off. But I pressed on anyway. I need to see them again. I had to.


"Miss, my name is Myst Evrard. I'm the son of Lindorf villages chief. I was on my way to the capital Vandelas in order to attend the royal wedding. But the merchant caravan I was with got caught up in a landslide and I fell down the cliff. I sincerely thank you for nursing me back to health after the accident, but I really need to get to the capital to greet the royal couple. You may not believe me, but they're both dear friends of mine, and I want to personally give them my blessing. Please..."


Apprehension and worry filled the faces of both the girl and the man in glasses.


"Now lad, I'm sure it's been hard on you. You just need a bit more rest. Nemu, if you please..." the man spoke with a soothing tone, beckoning for the girl who was now holding some sort of strange tube.


"No! You don't understand! I have to meet with Vance and Felise! I need to apologize. I have to. I..."


I felt something pierce my neck. My consciousness quickly dimmed.


Part 2


"Well, this certainly doesn't bode well for the project." a sharp eyed man with hawk-like features exclaimed with a sigh.


"Mm. We've barely recovered anything after the transport was attacked. All our test pilot candidates bit the dust, save for one. But it turns out he didn't quite escape death unscathed after all." the bespectacled doctor sighed back.


"What exactly is going on with him doctor?" the sharp eyed man asked.


"As I'm not an expert on the field, I can only speculate. But I think the severe traumatic experiences he encountered coupled with his brush with death put him through an extreme state of denial. He's replaced reality with elements from what appears to be some sort of fantasy novel." the doctor explained.


The sharp eyed man raised an eyebrow.


"A fantasy novel? People still read that sort of stuff?" he exclaimed with an air of disbelief.


The doctor shrugged helplessly.


"Different strokes for different folks as they say." he replied.


"Will he recover?" the sharp eyed man asked.


"Hard to tell sir. For now, let me continue observing him. We're already at our wits end anyway. At this point, I'd actually be tempted to take a crazy guy in as the test pilot for the Elysium project rather than admit defeat." the doctor said with conviction.


"Alright. I'll leave it to you. And doctor... Our enemy got wind of the plan despite the massive information blackout we implemented. There's a high possibility that they have someone on the inside. Trust no one. Not even me." the sharp eyed man warned.


The doctor grinned darkly.


"Oh, don't worry captain. I never trust anybody."


***


"Sir, Deep Eyes 04s periodic report has just been sent in." a young officer exclaimed.


"Hm? Ah, yes. Just leave it there." a skinny but stone faced man answered and gestured towards his desk.


The young officer promptly saluted and transferred the data recordings on the terminal installed in the stone faced man's desk.


After the young officer left, the man expanded the data recording into several overhead holographic screens. His poker face slightly faltered after taking a look at them.


"So, one rat escaped extermination huh? We need to remedy that." he hissed.


He sent out an encrypted code that relayed his orders to the spy they sent to infiltrate the enemy ship.


Missing one kill left him a bitter aftertaste. At least that's going to be fixed soon.


He can almost imagine the looks of despair and frustration on those Confederacy dog's faces. He laughed in glee at the thought.


-Chapter 4 End-
Last edited by Swordstriker21 on Fri Aug 14, 2015 1:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 5: Magic Practice, Voyeurs and a Shadowy Stalker
Spoiler! :
Part 1

It feels like a few days have passed ever since I ended waking up stuck in my current predicament. I actually don't have much of a sense of time after waking up because the room I was in didn't have any windows. I couldn't tell if it was night or day.

Light came from a strange contraption that turned a sort of glowing object on or off with a touch. The illumination was very bright. Almost like daytime actually. But once the contraption was turned off, it turned quite dark, save for the ambient light coming from some of the other strange devices in the room.

The folks who saved(?) me treated me quite well. I even had a trio of beautiful girls taking care of me. No, really. I'm not boasting. There really were three of them - ranging from cute to beautiful to sultry.

The one who was with the man when I first woke up is Miss Nemu Morikaze. She's quite lively and liked to joke around. She's quite the looker as well. Her ponytail suited her. She brought two other women with her and introduced them to me. The one with an exceedingly voluptuous figure was Aiko Takayama and the petite girl who seemed to perpetually sport a bored, spaced out expression was Miya Iwamori. The doctor also introduced himself as Mr. Satoru Saionji earlier before. They all had pretty exotic sounding names. They're probably not from the Grandale continent. The oriental islands to the far east perhaps?

The beautiful trio told me they were the ones assigned to take care of me while I recuperate. Again, I'm not deliberately trying to rub it in.

And while I would normally be relishing the fact that three beautiful women were nursing me back to health, I was still really worried about my situation.

I barely scraped up new information as I conversed with the girls. First, I was probably no longer on Grandale continent anymore. They told me I was currently aboard a civilian transport freighter. In other words, a ship.

The Vandel kingdom was situated near the heart of the continent. It was nowhere near the sea. Therefore, things like saltwater fish were rare commodities. The bodies of water that were located within Vandel kingdoms territory like the Kraust river and Ayers lake were to small and narrow for large vessels. From what the girls told me, the ship we're on is fairly large.

If so, then I must be out at sea right now. This certainly put me in quite a bind. I have no idea how distant we are from the continent. I tried asking the girls, but Miss Nemu and Miss Aiko both just gave me slightly troubled looks. Miss Miya had that spaced out look as usual. But she also didn't answer my queries. Did I really ask something strange? I wonder if the people in the eastern lands called Grandale continent by a different name?

If I try to leave via lifeboat, I might just find myself stranded and lost out on the open sea. I don't have the slightest inkling about how to navigate out at sea. I'm a dry land person, born and raised near forests and mountains after all.

And, though they're my benefactors, I can't simply waltz in on the captain and request for them to turn back just for my sake. Traveling the seas via ship can be really daunting after all. That's what I heard from uncle Milton and some of the traveling merchants who had experience riding ships in order to sell their wares on foreign lands.

Do I really have to give up on coming back to the central continent immediately? All factors point to this conclusion. And, though I'm a bit unwilling, I virtually have no choice in the matter.

I'll try to hitch a ride on another ship bound for Grandale once we come to port. I have no money right now (my things got buried in the landslide along with the coaches) so I might not be able to do so straight away. But I'll work something out. I have to.

After get back, I'm probably gonna have to bow down repeatedly to those two for not making it to their big day. I hope this doesn't cause more friction between us; though them hating me is just my one sided conclusion. I actually have no idea about what they think of me. I'll talk it out with them eventually. I hope we'll all have smiles on our faces afterwards.

Part 2

The time I spent lazing around in the white room felt like an eternity. I was bored out of my mind. I tried going out only to find that the door was looked from the outside.

How the heck do you open this thing anyway? There's no handle or hinges. It looks really tightly shut. I can't just bust the door up either. That'll be rude.

And it feels really solid. I don't think I'll be able to make even as much as a dent even if I rammed it with all my strength.

The girls won't allow me to leave the room even if I ask either. I seriously feel more like a prisoner than a patient.

I really wanted to explore this so called ship. My room has so many strange contraptions. I have no idea how most of them work. I was told not to mess with anything so I tried not to. I can't have them getting annoyed at me, especially because I was only tagging along aboard their ship.

But my curiosity was still quite piqued. Most of the things inside the room were made out of metals, glass and a strange, light but hard material I've never seen before. Some of the things made with it were transparent like un-tinted glass. But things like the cup I drink water from had color and was even peppered with some strange symbols. Is this the face of a cat? It's hard to tell since it didn't have a mouth. It also wore a pink ribbon on one of its ears.

Strange...

There's nothing made of wood. Procuring and processing metals was quite expensive. A room made out mostly from the stuff feels really extravagant. But the people here don't think much of it at all. Were things like this normal where they're from? I may have stumbled into a really outrageous place.

Part 3

Since I couldn't get out even if I wanted to, I decided to give up for now and went back to bed. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I decided to practice circulating mana.

Weird.

My mana circulation feels smoother than normal. Maybe all that rest did some good after all.

I activated body enhancement magic. Hmm? It kinda feels like it's gotten a bit more potent than before. Maybe my near death experience caused me to awaken my hidden potential?

Pfft... Yeah right. Like that could ever happen. The improvement feels marginal anyway. Nothing to get excited about really. I still wouldn't be able to hold a candle to seasoned adventurers.

I continued to practice and began focusing the mana to reinforce specific areas. My mana capacity is average at best, but I was a bit proficient with circulation and control. But that's limited to things like body enhancement magic techniques which simply circulate and pool mana into specific areas within the body in order to strengthen them.

I lacked the sense to accurately control mana acting outside the body. I coul manage haphazard explosions, but they carried an acute risk of friendly fire in a party environment so they're nigh useless.

I improve slightly when I use auxiliary equipment like wands, enabling me to cast simple fireballs. But honestly, those types of equipment are better off being used by people actually decent in magecraft.

So why practice magic at all? I kinda developed a combat style that relied on body enhancement magic to improve the strength, speed and quality of my swordsmanship. Grampa Galvan told me it's actually pretty rare for a person to have both magical talent and the spark of a warrior.

But in my case, both my talent for magecraft and swordsmanship ended up being half baked. So I ended up as an average magic swordsman who could barely measure up to people with more specialized skill sets.

Kind of underwhelming really. But that's been my life story so far. Only choice now is to grin and bear it.

I have to keep myself sharp to prepare for the possibility of a long journey once I start heading back to the Grandale continent. Dangerous monsters and beasts roamed the world after all. They have been ever since the dawning of time.

The fallen demon king had several subordinate monsters and had shaped them into an organized fighting force. But originally, monsters and beasts were wild and, at times, dangerous. Best not to provoke one if you end up in an encounter. But you need to have the resolve to fight or run away from them in order to live if things escalate to a confrontation. This practice served to prepare myself for such circumstances.

I continued to meditate in silence.

***

"Sir, I think you'd want to take a look at this." a young female officer exclaimed.

Dr. Satoru Saionji approached the terminal the female officer was stationed at and observed the screen. His brows furrowed after observing the phenomenon that was occurring in front of the monitor.

"Fascinating!..." he whispered.

"Hi-Phonon particle readings are steadily increasing within the room with the subject as the epicenter sir. Quite the spectacle." the female officer said in an amazed tone.

"Achieving this degree of particle control without formal training... Astounding! Could you pull up the subjects pre-selection test results please." Dr. Saionji requested somewhat excitedly.

"Test results indicate he barely made it past the benchmark for Hi-Phonon concentrations within his body. Physical ability is, likewise, only average." the officer remarked rather bluntly.

Dr. Saionji shook his head slightly.

"I see. That's unfortunate. But still, with that kind of manipulation ability, he'll do quite well as a test pilot. Continue monitoring the subject and notify me of any changes." he instructed, recovering his spirits a bit.

"It looks like the project isn't such a lost cause after all." he said in an almost inaudible whisper.

***

A figure lurked behind Dr. Saionji and the female officer, listening in on their exchange. Blending well with the other officers and crew members of this so called "civilian" transport freighter, the figure had been conducting deep undercover infiltration within enemy lines for quite some time now.

Having determined that the subject for extermination could pose a significant threat to the Alliance if allowed to develop further, the figure had resolved to proceed with the assassination posthaste even with the risk of being compromised.

Steady footsteps left the room. But a pair of bespectacled eyes followed after the sound with a cold gaze.

-Chapter 5 End-
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 6: Assassination Attempt and Crazy Combat Nurses
Spoiler! :
Part 1

I was lazing out inside the room as usual when I suddenly felt a presence from beyond the door. But something was strangely off. It took a few moments for me to realize what felt wrong.

It was something I haven't felt in a long time. Not since being surrounded by a pack of hungry Rouge Fangs with Vance after being purposely stranded in the middle of a monster infested forest during our training with gramps.

Killing intent.

So thick, it could nearly suffocate you from pressure alone.

Why?

What'd I do to deserve facing another life or death predicament? And this time, via human hands instead of an unfortunate accident.

I quickly activated body enhancement magic and pretended to sleep so I could catch the would be assailant off guard. No matter what, I can't afford to die. Not without seeing those two again.

But still, who could want me dead enough to release such dense killing intent? The people on this ship saved me earlier and now they actually want me dead? That just doesn't make sense.

I heard the familiar hiss that indicated the door opening. It closed right after the assailant entered the room, effectively locking the two of us inside.

Light footsteps slowly approached the bed. The killing intent I felt made me have goosebumps. I steeled myself and prepared to act.

Once I felt the presence was close enough, I took the initiative and quickly moved to restrain the assailant, only for me to go wide eyed in shock when I saw who it was.

"M-Miss Miya?!"

There in front of me was the petite girl Miya Iwamori, whose normal spaced out look was now replaced with a piercing hate filled gaze.

Part 2

I was really shocked. This cute girl actually released such dense killing intent. And it's directed at me.

"W-Why?" I asked.

Her answer was a knee straight to the stomach. Even under the effect of body enhancement magic, the blow still hurt like hell. Where does she get that much power with such a small build?

Never giving me the chance to recover, she lunged forward with astounding speed. My eyes barely kept up and I managed to narrowly avoid a blow to the neck. A trickle of blood came from a small wound that opened up on the side of my neck.

She was holding a sharp looking knife and thrust it at me. When the heck did she bring that out? I didn't even notice.

I moved almost instinctively, trying a technique that would allow me to pin her down and disarm her. But her body was too supple and her techniques too fluid. She easily slipped out from my clumsy grappling attempt.

Once she fixes her posture, that nasty looking knife would aim for my vitals once more. I couldn't let that happen.

Maximizing my mana output, I threw a magic strengthened hand chop down towards Miya's wrist. The speed and sharpness of my blow was also augmented. I forcibly disarmed her with all I've got and even stole her weapon.

But I didn't relax one bit. She might have more than one of these things. And her speed and proficiency with them are far from ordinary. Even with that little exchange, I've already determined that she was very skilled.

I was only able to disarm her through surprise and sheer luck. In a battle of attrition, I judged I'd be at a disadvantage. She seemed too used to this stuff - used to killing other people.

I had experience killing monsters before. But, as expected, facing a fellow human allowed for some hesitation. And in a battle, hesitation could be fatal.

Even if I was holding a weapon right now, I still felt like a frog facing off against a snake. I was already sweating buckets.

As the tension reached its peak, something unexpected happened.

The door suddenly opened.

Part 3

The door opening distracted me only for mere moments. But, as expected, Miya capitalized from my blunder. She thrust another knife at me with blinding speed. As I thought, she carried another one with her.

I tried to parry, mustering all my strength and magic, but I wasn't going to make it.

It was only by mere moments. But I was still not going to be able to stop Miya's fatal strike. My life flashed before my eyes once more.

But before the knife bore through my skull, I felt someone grab me and throw me right outside the now opened door. My back slammed on the hallway walls and I got winded.

But due to body reinforcement, it wasn't as bad as it could have been and I recovered rather quickly. I moved my gaze back towards the interior of the room and got another shock.

Miss Aiko Takayama was now facing off against Miya. She briefly looked back and flashed me a dazzling smile.

I shouted a warning. Miya suddenly brandished her knife towards Aiko when she turned away to face me. But my concern turned out to be unwarranted.

Aiko easily deflected the attack without even looking and even countered with a kick which sent Miya flying towards the back of the room. Aiko finally turned her attention back towards Miya while twirling her weapons.

She was touting what appeared to be metal rods with handles fixed perpendicular to them a third of the way down their length. If I remember correctly, those were foreign weapons called "tonfa". Faint lightning sparks emanated from the tips. Are those magic weapons?

"Ara. This isn't very smart of you Mi-chan. Letting your feelings get in the way of your mission I mean." Aiko remarked teasingly.

"Shut up Mikuru. I have nothing to say to you, filthy Confederation dog." Miya coldly replied.

Am I hearing things? That aloof but cute Miya saying such vulgar words... What is wrong with the world?!

"That's mean Mi-chan. I'm not filthy." Aiko playfully retorted while feigning a hurt expression.

"I told you to shut up, fatty. I'm going to chop that flabby chest of yours right off if you continue to fool around." Miya exclaimed in a hostile tone.

The atmosphere changed. I felt chills run down my spine. Black aura seemingly surrounded Aiko whose expression turned stiff.

"You're really asking for it aren't you shorty? You're just jealous cause you're completely flat." she remarked threateningly.

Now it was Miya's turn to make a stiff expression. Veins seemingly popped out on her forehead.

The two of them launched attacks while simultaneously shouting.

"Don't call me fatty!"

"Don't call me flat!"

The battle turned even uglier.

-Chapter 6 End-
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 7: Unexpected End and Prelude to Realization
Spoiler! :
Part 1

It's been a while since the fighting between Miya and Aiko began. The battle was fierce but neither was able to gain the upper hand. I knew I had to get away from them quick. But I continued to watch them in a daze.

"How beautiful..."

I whispered those words while intently observing the spectacle before me.

I was captivated.

Their moves were incomparably mesmerizing to me. I failed to notice it earlier because of the situation, but neither of them displayed any traces of activating body enhancement magic. That meant that the things I was bearing witness to were achieved without the aid of magic - only pure physical prowess.

I couldn't fathom how that was possible. Miss Aiko aside, Miya had a build that couldn't possibly support the speed and power she was currently displaying. Just how were they able to achieve such feats of strength without using magic?

But that wasn't what captured my attention the most. It was the quality of their moves. No, that's not quite it. The very nature of their moves made me unable to pull away.

Those weren't techniques born from simply talent and instincts alone. They were polished to a very high degree and were certainly amazing. But what shined through was the nature of pure effort. The countless hours spent into developing them into blades sharp enough to cut down all that barred their path.

It was more pronounced in Miya's case. She truly did not possess the air of one with innate talent. But she was strong. That was undeniable.

Her techniques did not have the spontaneous and unrestrained quality of one born for battle. Instead, they bore a clinical, systematic and efficient nature, developed to near perfection by internalizing and building upon their foundations until reaching the summit of their potential.

Can people really reach such heights through hard work alone? That can't be the case. How can such a thing be possible?

Talent overshadows even the hardest of efforts. That was fact set in stone. Irrefutable truth.

But was it really?

I'm not so sure now.

Was I too focused on Vance's overwhelming talent and sold myself short as a result? Can I also reach the heights displayed by the two before me if I put in more effort?

Of course, I knew things aren't that simple. But something inside me was stirring once more.

A foolish, naive dream.

I bit my lip until I drew blood. Various emotions were welling inside me.

Anger, sorrow, frustration, regret... and hope.

But I was stirred awake by a knife whizzing past my face. Miya threw it after seizing an opportunity to break away from her opponent.

Miss Aiko sharply admonished me and told me to run as she blocked Miya's path once more.

And so, I ran.

Part 2

"Well then, since we got that out of the way, I think it's about time we finished this shorty." Aiko provoked.

"Sure. I'm just about fed up with you too anyway." Miya retorted, brandishing her mono-molecular combat knives. She now held two of them in response to the nano-carbonite shock tonfas Aiko was sporting.

The air around them turned heavy.

And they clashed once more.

Miya unleashed a barrage of fast and fluid slashing and thrusting attacks which were continuously fended off by Aiko's tonfas.

Aiko countered at every opportunity and had her weapons discharge several thousand bolts of electricity towards Miya. She knew that this wasn't enough to incapacitate her opponent, but Aiko did it in order to impede Miya's movements, allowing for more of her attacks to land.

Just as Miya was occasionally pelted with electricity, Aiko also suffered numerous cuts made by Miya's knives even with her fierce blocking. Miya's attacks were just too fast and decisive for Aiko to block them all.

After simultaneously landing blows on each other, they once again drew apart.

"Heh. Not bad. Alliance agents aren't too shabby after all." Aiko remarked while panting lightly. Her hair and clothes became disheveled during the battle. Her expression revealed excitement as proved by her wild grin.

Miya was of a similar condition. She also held a grin on her face. But there was also something else in her expression - a triumphant glint in her eyes which seemed to say she had finally captured her prey.

A silver flash fell from right above where Aiko was standing. It was one of Miya's combat knives. Aiko wasn't able to dodge in time and crimson blood sprayed from her left shoulder.

"Gaah!"

Aiko's face distorted with pain. Miya rushed forward to deliver the killing blow.

Just as she was moments away from stabbing Aiko's vitals...

"Well, that's about enough I think."

A casual sounding voice suddenly came from behind the two of them.

Miya's movements halted instantly. Her body convulsed violently and after a few moments, she fell paralyzed to the floor. Her eyes swam towards the origin of the voice.

It was Dr. Satoru Saionji, slowly walking towards them with a relaxed gait. He was smiling amiably, but his eyes were icy cold.

He knelt down and looked at the object that wounded Aiko with a curious gaze.

"Hmm... A weapon that uses magnetism huh? The knives can be set to emit strong magnetic fields. One can be set as an "attractor" and the rest will be drawn to it with astounding speed and power."

He pushed a trigger on the hilt of one of the knives stuck to the floor, turning off its magnetic field, and picked it up. He twirled it around between his fingers and slowly walked back towards the two ladies.

"If I remember correctly, the weapons designers who developed this thing were retro gaming nuts. They based the concept on a 21st century video game. One that takes place on Mars, I believe. It actually caught on huh? Interesting."

He helped Aiko up and gave her a troubled smile.

"To think you were caught off guard by such a thing. You're getting a bit rusty." he remarked with a playful tone.

"Rub it in some more why don't you." she replied.

"Did you get enough data?" she asked.

"Why yes. Good work by the way. After the cease fire agreement and this subsequent cold war we have going on right now, we've had less opportunities to observe the abilities of enhanced soldiers fielded by the Alliance in action. This will make for a good reference point." Dr. Saionji answered nonchalantly.

His gaze turned towards the fallen Miya. He smiled at the bewildered expression she was showing.

"What's wrong dear? Are you wondering what just happened? It's simple really. Just an itsy bitsy nano sized device. It allowed us to mess around with your cybernetic implants and shut them down indefinitely. How'd we get it inside you? Now that IS a mystery isn't it." Dr. Saionji explained in a taunting tone.

Miya's expression distorted with anger. But it turned to confusion once more only moments after.

"Ah, yes. You can't blow yourself up now either. We've also disabled that self destruct function. You can't go ahead and die on us now right? We still have SO MUCH to talk about." Dr. Saionji explained further while sporting an ill natured grin.

"Alright then people. Take her away. And make sure she's secure." he ordered.

Several officers came , cuffed Miya and brought her away. She was to be taken to the maximum security brig and prepared for questioning.

"What now?" Aiko asked.

"Now we deal with our other little problem." Dr. Saionji answered promptly.

Part 3

I ran around aimlessly after being shouted at by Miss Aiko. My head was still in a mess and I didn't pay attention to where I was going.

And I suddenly bumped on something. No, make that someone.

"Well now sir... This is quite bold of you." a soft voice remarked from below me.

It was Miss Nemu. I ended up right on top of her after accidentally bumping onto her and knocking her down. She had a mischievous look on her face and smiled wryly.

I hurriedly got off her and backed away. I was still wary of others because of the attack. She narrowed her brows a bit as she stood up and addressed me in a soothing tone.

"Don't worry. I'm not an enemy. Besides, if I wanted to hurt you..."

She paused a bit.

"...I could have done so already."

The next thing I knew, she was already right beside me.

"Miya has already been neutralized. I'm to bring you to the port side viewing deck as per Dr. Saionji's order. Come on."

She took my arm and led me away. The soft feeling pressed upon me almost made me lose the motivation to resist. I really don't have any immunity to a woman's charms huh.

I secretly activated body enhancement magic once more. I also prepared to cast some mana explosions the moment she acted funny.

Being in close proximity was certainly a disadvantage. But given the speed she displayed earlier, running away would be futile. My only chance was to catch her off guard and incapacitate her before she has the time to react. I had a hunch that this would prove difficult, given the caliber of the opponent.

I allowed myself to be led by Miss Nemu while hoping that my concerns are wholly unfounded.

***

She led me down the long hallway. I was amazed by what I saw. From the looks of it, the entire interior of the ship was made mostly from metals. Maybe even the exterior. How the heck do they even make it move?

Even the strongest headwind wouldn't be able to propel such such a heavy vessel. Did they hire magicians to constantly cast high tier wind magic? Or did they use demi-human slaves like semi-giants as rowers?

Miss Miya continued to stare at my curious expression with an amused smile. We finally reach a fairly large and thick metal door which opened with a hiss.

Once I stepped inside, my heart nearly stopped from surprise.

I was floating.

It was not unlike staying underwater. A true feeling of weightlessness assailed me.

And when I turned my gaze towards a huge glass window...

There were stars. A veritable sea of stars.

My jaw dropped.

-Chapter 7 End-
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 8: Deal With the Devil
Spoiler! :
Part 1

I was at a loss and didn't know what to make of the situation. I can't feel any mana activity so what I'm seeing and experiencing right now probably isn't caused by magic. But it was far too unbelievable!

"I see you've already brought him." a male voice came from behind.

I looked towards the source of the voice to find Dr. Saionji smiling at me.

I wasn't good at dealing with Dr. Saionji. He seems like a good enough guy, but there's this lingering sense of uneasiness whenever I engage in a conversation with him. I can't help but liken him to gramps whenever he was baiting Vance and me with sweet promises of awesome new techniques or training methods, only for us to end up biting off more than we could chew.

We've gotten into some pretty close calls back then. Actually, it's quite remarkable that we survived that sort of hellish training. I involuntarily shudder at the thought.

Dr. Saionji's voice snapped me out from my reminiscence.

"Well, lad? What do you think about zero gravity? Pretty interesting right? Though normally, you should be used to this kind of stuff already. But, given your condition, it wouldn't be weird for you to think this is the first time you're experiencing it." Dr. Saionji began. I don't have the slightest inkling about what he's talking about.

"Hmm. Judging from that blank, confused look, I assume I'm pretty much on point huh. Was the trauma really so severe?" he continued without paying attention to my growing confusion.

"Um... Sorry to interrupt but... Just what exactly is going on? What the heck is this place? Who are you people? Why is someone suddenly trying to kill me?!"

I unleashed a barrage of pent up questions. I already lost my cool earlier and am close to being hysterical now.

"Whoa there lad. Slow down. Relax. I'll answer all your questions to the best of my abilities. I only ask that you listen to my little proposal in return." Dr. Saionji replied, trying to ease my excited state.

"Alright. Sorry about that." I answered with a hoarse tone as I try to calm myself down.

"Good. Now then... Where to begin?..." Dr. Saionji nodded approvingly and launched himself towards me with a light tap of his foot to the floor. Stopping just short of where I was, he positioned himself as if he was sitting cross legged on a chair while in truth, we were floating in mid air. It was quite a bizarre sight.

"Well then... How should I explain...? Ah, yes. Considering all that you've told us about yourself in these past few days, I think you'll understand better if I explain it like so."

Dr. Saionji paused his explanation for a few moments and looked me squarely in the eyes. I reflexively flinched a little from his gaze. His next words shocked me into silence.

"Basically my good lad... You're in another world." he stated in a matter of fact tone.

My thoughts ground to a halt while trying to digest what the doctor claimed. And after a brief pause...

"Huh? Are you crazy?!" I screamed.

Part 2

"Now I know it sounds hard to believe, but if we were to infer from your previous statements, it seems you are indeed from another world. A world different from this one. And now you're in our world. A stranger who's crossed space and time. Has a nice, romantic ring to it huh?" Dr. Saionji continued; unfazed by my panicked scream.

"What do you mean 'other world'? Maybe you meant 'another country'? I'm in a ship from another country right? This is all caused by some fancy foreign illusion magic right?" I denied desperately.

"No. This really is another world. There's no kingdom called Vandel here. No central continent called Grandale. No Lindorf village. You can't find those places even if you scoured the entirety of the colonized regions of the galaxy.

Of course, they may be located on a planet somewhere out there in this vast universe. But certainly not here. It does sound more mysterious and exotic if we go with the 'other dimension' theory so I'm going with that." Dr. Saionji retorted with an unconcerned tone.

I grabbed his collar in panic and shook him about wildly. I was completely out of it.

"That's crazy! All of this is crazy! All of you are crazy! You expect me to believe that?!" I shouted in confusion and rage. I continued to vent for quite some time.

After I tired myself out from all the shouting, Dr. Saionji gently removed my hands from the collar of his clothes and addressed me in a calm manner.

"Are you done now? Good grief lad. Learn to manage your temper a bit. Anyway, it's fine for me to continue right?" he asked. I nodded half heartedly. I no longer had the motivation to react.

"You should have already noticed yourself right? Almost all the things you've seen here couldn't possibly exist in the world you're from, basing from your descriptions. You just refrained from acknowledging that little fact in order to better cope with the situation. But right now, there's no use denying it." he went on. I looked at him with a powerless expression.

My head was a mess and I mulled over a lot of things in worry. If this really was another world, then how did I get here? It's said in the Church's teachings that one would reincarnate an untold number of times until the soul becomes pure enough to sublimate towards the eternal realm. Did I already undergo reincarnation after dying?

But Dr. Saionji said this was another world and that the places I'm familiar with don't exist. Have I reincarnated into the far future? What if this really was another dimension? How would I get back? Legend tells of people ending up in the Spirit Realm and never returning. Will the same thing happen to me? Will I never get to see my loved ones again?

People say losing someone to death is incredibly painful for the ones left behind. But I'm actually the one who died. It's incredibly painful for me too.

They say death send you into a journey towards eternal peace and happiness. That you're not supposed to fear or be sad about it. What a load of nonsense! Then what is this feeling that is tearing through my heart? How am I supposed to overcome this?

Should I just accept it and move on? Like hell I can! I still have so many things I had to do. I still have so many things I wanted to say. I still had people I wanted to be with. But I will never have the chance to fulfill those hopes ever again. Just how unfair is that?!

Why? Why do I remember my previous life? If I didn't, then I won't have to experience this kind of pain at all...

And even if I really haven't died. If what Dr. Saionji said is true and I have indeed travelled through dimensions, how would I even find myself back. Merely wanting to wasn't enough. Is there a way to get back in the fist place? How would I even start?

Countless worries assaulted me one after the other. People often say you need to keep your cool in situations like this. But can you? I certainly can't.

How the do you expect me to keep calm when I'm in such a predicament? This isn't like getting stuck in a deserted island or something. It's possibly being thrown into a new life or a new world. There's a nagging sense of something uncomfortably alien about this whole thing and it's driving me nuts.

"Well, now that we've established that bit, it's time to move on to the more important topics." Dr. Saoinji declared, not paying my unsettled mood even a tiny bit of attention. I continued to stare at him with lifeless eyes.

"Don't look so glum lad. I have a really interesting proposal for you later. But first, I need to tell you about our world. Notice the grand tapestry of stars out there?" he pointed out.

I moved my gaze to the large glass window. I could clearly see multitudes of stars within an ocean of darkness. It was surreal yet beautiful.

"That's called 'space'. We're now in a place called 'space'. It's the thing beyond the sky. The next frontier. By the way, in your world, what's said to be beyond the sky?" Dr. Saionji explained further and paused a question.

"The domain of the gods who created the world - Alma, the goddess of light and creation, chief among them. It's said that only after countless lifetimes can a soul be purified enough to join the gods in that sacred domain." I answered almost involuntarily. I was still in a state of confusion and shock, so I wasn't fully conscious of what I was saying

Dr. Saionji's lips curved into a light smile.

"Gods huh? Humanity certainly likes to play god actually. Quite the irony. So it's similar to heaven or nirvana." he whispered.

"Well, anyway, in this world, this is what lays beyond the sky. A vast, mysterious place with countless untold secrets. And we have gained the capability to explore it and discover what little we can about it. Will we actually find 'gods' residing somewhere in this vast universe? Who knows. But that's part of the charm you see. Excitement for the unknown." he continued.

"Now, even in this world, there are conflicts. And space has become the stage for countless battles. Even now, we're right in the middle of one. The higher ups are desperate to downplay the situation and try to keep up a facade of false peace though."

I nodded lightly. Conflicts just can't seem to be avoided, even in a so called other dimension.

"We're actually a covert military operation that has recently been commissioned to spearhead a project that would turn the winds of battle in our favor. And we want you to join up."

Huh?

Now what's he on about? As if I wasn't confused enough already.

Part 3

"I want you to officially sign up and become our military's asset." Dr. Saionji stated once more.

"Wait. Now just wait one moment! You said 'military' right? Why would I want to be conscripted to fight in a war for a country I don't even know? And I'm not that strong anyway. Why would you want me?" I asked, puzzled about the reason for the invitation.

"Ahaha. Don't worry. I'm not gonna ask you to go fight in a war. Far from it. I only want you to serve as a test pilot for our newly developed weapon system." Dr. Saionji answered.

"Like I said, why me? I don't know about being a 'pilot' or something but there must be others more qualified than me." I insisted.

Dr. Saionji made a tired sigh and fixed a sharp gaze at me.

"Here. Take a look at this."

He handed me pieces of film-like sheets. They contained various information about someone. On top of the very first piece was some sort of tiny portrait of a young man. Must be the one being described in the sheets. My brows furrowed after realizing that the portrait looked eerily similar to me. I looked at Dr. Saionji in increasing puzzlement.

"That's you. Or rather, that's the identity of the man you formerly were before you started to claim otherwise." he explained.

I became even more confused. My former identity?

"Kou Mikagami. That's who you are. Rather, that's who you were. Right now, you claim to be... Myst Evrard was it?" Dr. Saionji went on.

"You're actually one of the few who voluntarily signed up for joining the Elysium project. Before joining up, you were a fresh recruit just out of one of our military institutes.

You and several others were on route to one of our testing facilities to take part in the project, but were ambushed by enemy forces pretending to be criminals who were after your ship and valuables. Space pirate wannabes if you will. You're the only one who survived the attack." he explained further.

"I... This..."

I was at a loss. I didn't know what to think anymore. Suddenly being told I was a different person before...

"I don't know exactly what happened to you after recovering from the attack. Kou Mikagami might have already died and you took his body over after dying in the world you're from yourself. Or maybe you're just delusional and you're making the things you're claiming up because of the trauma from nearly dying.

I'm no expert when it comes to psychoanalysis. But I do know this - You're a valuable asset who has the aptitude suited for our purposes. And we want your services in order to develop a weapon system that will help us in winning the war."

Dr. Saionji's gaze bore through me. But I was preoccupied with something else.

Delusional? No! That can't be! I could never dream something like that up. I remember them clearly. The taste of moms cooking. My sisters cute nagging. My fathers deep set voice. My hometown. Our noisy neighbors. Vance's cheeky laugh. Felise's lovely smile.

I remember them all quite vividly. The entirety of my twenty years of life in Lindorf. I couldn't possibly make all that stuff up... right?

"Hey kid! Don't just go losing yourself in la la land. We're in the middle of a deal here." Dr. Saionji admonished.

"Deal?" I asked.

"Uh huh. It's the offer I was talking about earlier. You seem to be set on the fact that you're really a different person who came from an unfamiliar world. We're prepared to go along with your whims and grant you both the resources and the expertise to pursue a means of getting back to your own world, no matter how crazy that sounds." he stated.

What? Are you serious?

"Judging from that expression, I assume you're at least interested. Very well. Just think about it. You'll never get an offer as good as this. You'll get to have the full backing of the Coalition military. Our resources and quality of personnel can't be matched by just any run off the mill organization. We're your best shot at finding a way to get back to your own world. Rather, we're your only shot. And all we ask is that you cooperate with us a bit too."

Dr. Saionji was smiling. But there's something familiar about his smile. It was the smile of a conniving merchant. I saw uncle Milton make that smile lots of times before.

But he's right. I'm in an unfamiliar alien world. I have no one I can rely on. If what he's saying is true, then it's a major step for me. But people who make that kind of expression always gloss over the more inconvenient stuff for their own purposes. Was it really alright to trust him?

"What's the catch?" I asked. Dr. Saionji grinned wryly.

"Nothing major really. Like I said, you'll be serving to develop a weapon of war. It's not like you'll be the one responsible yourself, but the weapon you'll help develop will definitely cause a lot of blood to be shed. But hey, it's war. That's sort of par for the course. Still, I can't have you getting any moral dilemmas just cause we failed to mention this from the get go. So I'm telling you this now."

Dr. Saionji's grin grew even more ill humored.

"So what do you say? Think you can throw in your lot with us crazy folks? After all, you're quite mad yourself. And I don't really think you're one to spout nonsense about sacrificing personal happiness for the good of others. Most folks aren't that noble. Help us create a tool for murder and mass destruction and we help you find a way back home. Simple right?"

Dr. Saionji offered his hand while still sporting that conniving merchants smile.

"Come on lad. I've already laid down the facts for you. We're not doing this purely for just causes. I'm personally in it for revenge. But we're still asking you to be a willing accomplice. Because frankly, you don't have any other choice."

Dr. Saionji was simple and direct. But his words were like whispers from the devil. Even so...

I breathed in deep and looked Dr. Saionji in the eye. His expression was unfaltering.

I reached out and shook his hand.

-Chapter 8 End-
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 9: Art of War
Spoiler! :
Part 1

"So I take it that you agree with my proposal." Dr. Saionji asked. I had grasped his outstretched hand earlier after he made an offer too good to be true.

I slowly nodded and shrugged in resignation. Dr. Saionji's expression visibly lit up with glee.

"Excellent. Don't worry. We'll keep our end of the bargain. I've already discussed this with some of my superiors. Once you officially join the project, we'll start to iron out the details." he assured. I nodded once more.

I'm aware that I might be getting the raw end of the deal here. Judging from this guy's smile, I'm sure he'll squeeze me for all I'm apparently worth. But I have no choice but to play along for the moment.

There's no denying the fact that I'm currently in a very disadvantageous position. I know next to nothing about my current predicament. The things I was told about might not all be true either. Gaining more information is necessary.

Suddenly, a loud noise started blaring. What followed was a female voice harping about 'Alert Level 1' and 'possible hostiles detected'. Dr. Saionji's expression turned a bit sour.

"They're finally here. Sure took their time for an encore after that rather flashy performance. Or maybe they noticed the side act not doing so good." he murmured. He looked at me once more and his mouth slowly formed a wry smile.

"No matter. One can simply take this as an opportunity. Follow me lad. I'll show how this world's battles are waged. You'd have to get accustomed to it eventually anyway." he said and gestured for me to come along as he went towards the large metal door. Miss Nemu followed after him after smiling sweetly at me. I hesitated for a bit and went after them, floundering in mid air.

***

We arrived at another spacious room. It had a lot of people in it. A raven haired woman with a serene and somewhat cold looking expression stood at the side of a rather sharp eyed man whose virile physique was evident even under the clothes that covered most of his body. He sat at the center of the room, overlooking several other men and women who sat on starkly furnished chairs in front of strange contraptions that displayed glowing images above them.

The sharp eyed man turned to us with an expression of mild surprise. The woman beside him followed his gaze. After noticing our presence, her brow arched slightly, sporting a questioning look. The man addressed Dr. Saionji with a deep baritone.

"What brings you here doctor? And I see you brought our guest with you." he asked.

"He just agreed to be a part of the Elysium project. Figured he might as well get a taste of what he's signed up for." Dr. Saionji replied with a flippant grin. The mouth of the sharp eyed man slightly curved upwards into an almost imperceptible smile.

"Hear that you lot? It seems the good doctor is requesting an impromptu performance. Can you deliver?" the sharp eyed man spoke loudly.

At first, it seemed to me that he was addressing the people below us. But my assumption proved to be rather off. Several bright "windows" popped up in mid air above us. All in all, there were five of them. Each displayed people wearing strange armor-like clothing and rounded helms that only exposed their faces.

"Sounds interesting sir. I take it that you want us to be as flashy as possible." one of the people on the other side of the "windows" replied. He had a calm countenance. But his eyes betrayed a hidden fierceness. Grampa Galvan was the same. Still waters run deep, as the saying goes.

"Sure. Go all out. Performance data on the newly commissioned units is always welcome. Those things don't have any sensitive or top secret tech the other side doesn't already know about. Even so, don't you dare let any of them get compromised. Those things cost us a ton too." the sharp eyed man sternly warned.

"Don't you worry about a thing boss. We know what's up. Those Alliance bastards don't have what it takes to go head to head with us anyway." came a frivolous reply.

A guy with a loose, carefree expression grinned at us. He was also one of the people on the windows. Despite the playful air he displayed, a sense of coercion could be felt from his smile. He was no simple fool.

Rexler Everret, captain of the Aster Edge mercenary group was quite similar. He's my fathers acquaintance and frequent customer. He especially liked fathers swords. He was carefree, shameless and had a hugely inflated ego. But his skills were second to none.

People followed him after being dazzled with that strength. I heard he and his group performed admirably in the war against the demons.

"Mou! Zack-chan! Stop being so irresponsible. Take this seriously for once."

A clear, bell-like voice rang out from one of the windows and interrupted my thoughts. For some reason, it greatly reminded me of my sister.

"Sorry big sis Izuho. I'll give it my all. Don't you worry." the frivolous guy replied.

"Un. As long as you understand." the bell-like voice rang out once more. It came from a baby faced female sporting a fresh flush of pink on her cheeks.

"Enough of that. Go prep for launch." the calm male ordered. The others answered in the affirmative and the windows disappeared.

"Here we go lad. Don't miss any of it." Dr. Saionji said while elbowing me. I nodded and turned my attention to the large glass window that displayed the sea of stars beyond it, not knowing what to expect.

"Wyvern squad, you are clear for launch." a woman operating a strange contraption below us spoke. Voices rang out one after the other, seemingly in reply.

"Wyvern Lead launching."

"Wyvern 2 deploying."

"Wyvern 3. Let's kick some Alliance ass."

"Wyvern 4 commencing operation."

"Wyvern 5 engage."

An image appeared on the side of the glass window. My attention was instantly glued to it.

What appeared... were giants of steel.

Part 2

Zack Simmons licked his lips in anticipation. It has been quite some time since his squad fought a decent battle. He couldn't help but get excited. Despite his earlier remarks, he knew full well that Alliance black ops weren't ones to be taken lightly. He welcomed the challenge.

Before long, his unit's sensors detected the hostiles. Eight enemy units were heading their way. There may be more lurking outside the sensors range, waiting for an opportune snipe. He primed his units weapons and braced for the clash.

"I just love being point man!" he mused as adrenaline pumped in his system.

The unit beside him released beam dispersal nano materiel which spread quickly around them as a precautionary measure. Afterwards, all of them deployed Hi-Phonon barriers and cranked their sensors outputs to maximum.

They were out in open space. There was nowhere to hide. No cover to take refuge in. Whoever draws first blood gains a solid advantage.

The enemy signatures came closer and closer. Before long, Wyvern squad was able to discern their figures in the distance. They aimed their weapons at the incoming enemies and prepared to fire.

Bright flashes ripped through the darkness. The battle had finally begun.

***

A soundless void. A silent battlefield. Constantly tethering on the brink of life and death within the cold vacuum of space, where mere moments could decide ones fate. Tranquil and yet chaotic. Zack was enamored with all of it. It wasn't to the point of addiction, but he did quite enjoy it.

And so, within the silent hell where even ones screams cannot resound, Zack Simmons smiled in glee. He was truly thankful for being assigned to the Wyvern squad and sent to participate in the Elysium project - the Confederations greatest and, perhaps, final bid for seizing freedom and prosperity.

He really wasn't all that interested in the Confederations ideals. Nor was he driven by hatred or revenge against the Alliance. To be able to indulge in this guilty pleasure of his for as long as he can was enough. Yes, it was more than enough.

An enemy came before him - a seemingly shoddy looking Tactical Frame. "They're really putting effort into maintaining their image as dirt poor space raiders." he thought.

Despite its looks, the enemy machine was fast and precise. The two sides have already gotten into a close quarters firefight and heavy autocannon fire bathed the battlefield with an ethereal glow.

High-Phonon barriers were excellent for defense but consumed massive amounts of energy. Though the High-Phonon power cores installed on the latest Tactical Frame models were capable of continuously gathering and refining ambient particles, resulting in a near perpetual energy source, the rate of replenishment still had a tentative limit.

Thus, each combatant endeavored to overtax their enemies power core by pelting their barriers with a constant stream of heavy autocannon fire, firing several hundred 45 mm explosive rounds per minute.

That said, it wasn't like the combatants were stupid enough to just get hit. Their units engaged in systematic combat maneuvers, constantly trying to catch their opponents off guard and set them up for a cross fire.

Zack maneuvered his unit with wild grace. Despite his bold and fierce combat actions, he didn't neglect cooperating with his squad mates. He skillfully dodged incoming autocannon fire and constantly tried to lead his opponent in disadvantageous positions.

Suddenly, his machine jolted from a strong impact. He was hit. It was an incredibly accurate snipe. Luckily, the units barrier managed to hold up, but getting hit with any more of those will certainly be bad. He howled with a mixture of annoyance and excitement.

"Ahahaha! These guys are the best!" he exclaimed.

A bright flash went past him. He knew where it came from even without confirming. Izuho Himeno's unit just made a countersnipe.

"No less from you..." Zack mused. His grin widened as he once again plunged headfirst into the thick of battle.

***

An innocent looking smile blossomed on Izuho Himeno's face as she confirmed elimination of the target via direct hit.

Aiming right for the moment when the High-Phonon barrier is lowered to allow for precise shots, she picked off the enemy snipers one after the other with shockingly fast and accurate countersnipes, seemingly with the greatest of ease.

Getting done in right after an attempt to do the same to an enemy in a battlefield isn't all that improbable. But a sniper dying almost immediately after he or she squeezes the trigger was nothing short of terrifying. One isn't even given the chance to find out if he or she really did manage to take an enemy down before dying themselves.

The few snipers who did manage to survive an encounter with her were left with a grievous blow to their confidence coupled with a traumatic experience that led to fear of getting back to active duty and squeezing the trigger. Squeezing it meant death. That fear became deeply lodged in their subconscious.

If she didn't manage to kill you physically, she'd kill your spirit. She'd already ended countless promising Alliance snipers careers. This feat had earned her several embarrassing monikers, which she absolutely abhorred.

After getting assigned to participate in the Elysium project by High Command, her record only continued to grow. And she did relish that fact.

Constantly outdoing her old scores gave her an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. It's rumored that she likened it those antique whack a mole games prevalent in the 21st century.

One of her old squad mates claimed to have overheard her muttering "C'mon! Pop your heads up so I can blow it right off..." over the comms, leading to the rumors. She neither confirmed nor denied them. She just immersed herself in doing what she did best.

The present battle was business as usual for her. She hummed a cutesy tune with a voice that sounded way too young for a woman of her age as she continued to hunt for more prey.

***

Blaise Olver surveyed the battlefield with a calm gaze. He was currently satisfied with how things were proceeding. All his squad members seemed to be in top form. They definitely got hold of the initiative, as was planned. And he did like it when everything goes as planned. His lips slowly arched upwards in a rare show of satisfaction.

He continuously gave crisp and decisive orders as he strode over the battle field.

"Wyvern 4, fall back to point E-4. Wyvern 5, head on over to point E-6 to assist. Wyvern 3, continue to keep those bogeys occupied and steadily bait them to point D-3. We'll get one of them in a pincer. Wyvern 2, pin the others down with snipes and keep them off our backs."

He gave orders and his squad executed them almost perfectly - like sublime clockwork. He found these moments truly exhilarating.

Yet, he didn't think victory here would actually decide the ultimate outcome of the present battle. It was another one of his occasional presentiments - sudden bursts of intuition. And, more often than not, they were right on point.

"Should be any moment now..." he muttered.

A bright flash came from the rear - where the camouflaged Confederation heavy cruiser "Aegis" was located. It was enveloped in a blast that came from the main cannon of a fairly large battleship. Judging from the sensors readings, it was a highly concentrated burst of Genion particles.

"So that's how they managed to wipe out the Confederation transport convoy." he thought.

"That can certainly be said to be the strongest spear." he continued to muse to himself.

"Unfortunately for you, we have the strongest shield. And there's definitely no paradox." he whispered to no one in particular as his mouth broke into a slight grin.

Part 3

Captain Kent Grumman's face contorted to one of shock, disbelief and horror.

"T-They actually managed to withstand a blast from the Banshee's main cannon. Impossible! How could that even...?!" he exclaimed while stuttering.

As soon as contact with Deep Eyes 04, Miya Iwamori, went dark, he had immediately ordered a seek and destroy operation to be undertaken. He couldn't afford to let the Confederation ship go. Especially not after the possibility of an Alliance Deep Eyes agent being compromised came into the picture. As for any political complications that came afterwards, he'll leave it to those in charge of clean up to sort out.

After catching up to the target, he had ordered the TF squad to act as decoys by deploying them ahead in order to set up the decisive blow via the Alliance heavy cruiser Banshee's main cannon. They skirted the standard quantum sensor detection range while sporting optical camouflage and waited for the most opportune moment to fire. The main cannon was a newly developed weapon that fired a large amount of heavily concentrated Genion particles which would effectively annihilate all caught up in its wake.

That's what was supposed to happen. But, contrary to it, the Confederation ship was able to survive the onslaught. They even looked poised to counter attack. That fact sent Captain Grumman to a state of panic and rage.

And he wasn't even given the chance to recover.

"Sir, one hostile closing in fast! It's heading straight for us!" a bridge officer warned in a horrified tone.

"D-Deploy barrier! Have the point defense guns ready to intercept just in case." Captain Grumman ordered.

"N-No good sir! It's already inside the barriers effective range! The point defense guns won't be able to keep up either!" the bridge officer exclaimed in a terrified shriek.

Before Captain Grumman could ruminate just how an enemy machine could accurately spot and close in on them, catching them unawares, blades of superheated plasma sliced through the Banshee's hull and melted him and the rest of the bridge crew to nothingness.

***

"Wyvern 6 to Dragons Nest. Plan S-4 'Guillotine' successfully executed. The coordinates were spot on. The lieutenant does it again. The guy really should open a fortune telling business. I bet he'll rake in a ton." Wyvern 6, whose real name was Eva Emmett, remarked playfully over the comms.

She was the sixth and final member of the Wyvern Tactical Frame squad led by Lt. Blaise Olver. She was supposed to sortie with the rest of her team but was told to delay her deployment and quietly make her way to a set of coordinates specified by her team leader. Apparently, the hunch paid off and she managed to take down the Alliance ship with relative ease.

"This is Dragons Nest. Copy that Wyvern 6. Good work. Proceed to disable the rest of the ships combat potential but leave enough intact for the tech guys to have a field day out of it. But be sure to take out the energy reactors to prevent attempts at self destruction. Destroy the secondary bridge as well. Hail the remaining crew and demand unconditional surrender. We'll also proceed to head over to secure the spoils until reinforcements arrive." came the lengthy reply.

"Wyvern 6 copy. Proceeding to carry out orders."

Eva licked her lips and started to systematically destroy the specified targets.

-Chapter 9 End-
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 10: Speculated Potential and Building Expectations
Spoiler! :
Part 1

I didn't even notice my jaws dropping involuntarily as I continued to bear witness to events that shattered everything I considered to be common sense. I felt that I've finally gotten a glimpse of just how utterly absurd the predicament I've suddenly found myself in was.

"High Genion particle concentration readings detected. Closing in fast from 6 o'clock sir." a woman below us warned. The corners of the sharp eyed man's lips raised slightly.

"Just as expected. Set High-Phonon barrier to maximum output. All hands brace for impact!" he ordered loudly. Moments later, the ship violently shook and I was sent tumbling down to the floor.

I frantically tried to stand up but fell down on my haunches again. But it wasn't due to fear. I was just utterly shocked.

Demonic mana! How could there be such a powerful surge of demonic mana?! I thought the demon lord was defeated and killed by that idiot. Did the demon lord also get revived and sent to this world?

Huh?

No... Wait a sec... We got hit directly by that extremely powerful surge of demonic mana. The prejudice and hate for the demon race was mainly due to their innate ability to control this highly destructive force which is said to deny the divine and all of creation. I only had the chance to experience it once when we encountered a mutated monster which was able to control demonic mana during our training.

Even if what it could control paled in comparison to a true demon, Vance and I were still driven to a corner by its attacks. Even grampa Galvan had a relatively hard time killing the damn thing.

The demonic mana surge we just got hit with was truly far too overwhelming. If below average attacks utilizing demonic mana already posed a threat to even a former captain of an elite Royal Guard corps, then the attack we got hit with earlier, which was like a powerful and gigantic wave that engulfed the whole ship, should have utterly obliterated us. So... why are we still alive?

I felt someone lightly tap my shoulder. I looked up to see Ms. Nemu making a composed smile as she held out her hand towards me.

"Are you alright? Here, take my hand." she said in a calm, soothing tone. I felt slightly embarrassed but I grabbed her hand anyway, thinking it quite childish to brush her off just to keep appearances. And besides, her hand was amazingly soft and delicate.

Once I managed to calm myself down somewhat, I looked towards Dr. Saionji with a questioning expression. He only smiled lightly as his hands moved to make a placating gesture.

"Don't worry lad. I'll endeavor to answer all of your questions later. For now, just focus on observing and taking it all in." he assured. I decided to follow his advice for now and brought my gaze back to the images displayed on the huge glass window.

Everything that I've experienced so far ever since finding myself on this ship have been quite mind blowing. But the things that are occurring right before my eyes took it to a whole new level.

The steel giants which came out of the ship are still engaged in a fierce battle. I've heard of Magic Engineers and Alchemists creating and controlling automata and golems made out of various materials such as precious metals, stone or wood. But these steel giants felt like an entirely different existence unrelated to those things I've heard bards and adventurers talk about in town or read about on some of the books in my mom's small collection.

They were elegant yet brutal - fast, agile and powerful. They held strange weapons that spat out a countless barrage of glowing projectiles. They unleashed fiery plumes of bluish white luminescence that propelled them swiftly across that dark 'sea' called 'space' just outside of the ship. And they were capable of projecting a large and extremely dense mana shield that enveloped their gigantic frames.

This was another thing that left me quite speechless. The sheer volume of mana concentrated in those shields was absolutely shocking. Even highly proficient Archmages would find it quite hard to accumulate such absurd amounts and condense them into a proper mana shield unless one uses a spell array that gathered mana automatically in such quantities. Even then, the array should be of sufficient size to be practical. Although they were giants, the output being utilized on their shields is virtually impossible even if Magic Engineers imbued the entirety of their massive frames with a spell array. Just how had they done it?

In fact, you can't even call the shields those steel giants have proper, even as flattery. They were, in a word, crude. Quite so, in fact. It's like haphazardly piling up an enormous number of bricks without care for forming a sound structure in order to create a large wall. Although crude, the mana was quite densely packed, resulting in a massive and considerably tough mana shield.

Come to think of it, the demonic mana surge earlier was successfully fended off even though it was absurdly powerful...

Could it be?...

I shuddered at the thought. I tried to direct my sixth sense outwards, trying to perceive the surrounding mana in order to confirm my suspicion. I nearly doubled over once more due to shock.

"This... Ahahaha... Are you kidding me?... I can't even..."

My suspicion was right on the mark. The ship we were on is covered by a mana shield several times more massive than those used by the steel giants. And, unlike the giants shields, the one covering the ship seemed to follow some sort of spell structure.

It was still terribly simple, but the structure still bolstered the overall toughness of the shield. Coupled with the sheer amount and density of mana that constitutes the massive mana shield, it comes as no surprise that it was able to withstand the demonic mana surge earlier.

However, what really gets me is precisely the quantity of mana utilized in forming and maintaining the shield. It was really quite unreasonable to an absurd degree.

Even the Almadeus Theocracy's prided Divine Eight Pointed Star, the largest perpetual spell array in the world I'm from, pales in comparison. It allowed for the existence of a massive magic barrier encompassing the entirety of the Theocracy's capital. But the mana shield that's now blanketing the ship we're on dwarfs it in density, toughness and overall mana consumption.

Mana is said to be the breath of the world. It is the purest form of energy that comes from the wellspring of all life and gives the world its brilliance and vitality. However, there's a limit to how much mana a spell array can draw from the world.

The world has a natural ability to replenish mana within it. But it is by no means a fast process. There are times when consumption exceeds the world's mana replenishment rate, causing it to be unable to keep up, thus creating an barren area with dangerously low mana concentrations. This can only spell disaster for that areas environment as well as the beings living within it.

Mana shortage could spell the deterioration of the area in which it occurs, so perpetual spell arrays have always been regulated by the World Magic Association. Almadeus Theocracy isn't exempt from this either, especially since the Association's headquarters was located in its capital city.

I have a rough idea of what the benchmark is for arrays and spells which cause large scale mana consumption. I did properly study the basics because of my aptitude for magic, despite it being average at best. And even I could tell that the mana shield the ship was encased in has already exceeded that value by a very large margin.

Just how were they able to accomplish this? Does this world simply have an over abundance of mana? Or do the people here not know or care much about the danger excessive mana consumption poses?

In any case, I'll have to press Dr. Saionji for answers later. I just hope he'll be able to give them.

Part 2

The situation had finally settled down for the most part after a while. I found myself standing stock still with furrowed brows; caught up in trying to digest all that happened. The sharp eyed man seated at the center of the raised platform we were on continued to give out crisp orders to the others in the room. He's obviously this ships captain. Dr. Saionji stood beside him with that unreadable expression of his.

"Damage report." the sharp eyed man spoke as he directed his gaze towards one of the women operating strange contraptions.

"Aegis' High-Phonon Converter is showing some signs of a minor breakdown after the concentrated Genion particle attack. Other than that, we're relatively unscathed sir." the woman replied in a steady tone.

The sharp eyed man nodded slightly and turned towards Dr. Saionji.

"It looks like the 'Shield of Aegis' did live up to the estimated performance specs." he remarked with a slight grin.

Dr. Saionji nodded at the sharp eyed man's remark, and yet sighed and shook his head soon afterwards.

"It's still woefully flawed. Its stability and consumption rate remain unfeasible for defending against sustained barrages, especially from weapons utilizing Genion particles. The attack we got hit with earlier very nearly depleted our High-Phonon reserves. Although it managed to hold up in the end, that was still too close for comfort.

It also consumes a considerable amount of converted particles. It'll run our reserves dry fairly quickly, effectively turning us into sitting ducks in the middle of an engagement. It remains quite costly and impractical despite our best efforts. Truly unfortunate..." he complained and let out a disgruntled sigh. The sharp eyed man grinned helplessly.

"Still quite the perfectionist, I see. In any case, we did manage to get through quite a predicament with practically no losses. That's something to be glad about at the very least. That guys 'insight' is still as sharp and eerily accurate as ever. Pity he can't do it consistently." the sharp eyed man remarked once more. Dr. Saionji's mood turned slightly better.

"Mm... Blaise Olver truly has developed quite nicely. The entire groups progress is also quite remarkable. But I'm expecting our boy here to follow suit and possibly give us even better results." Dr. Saionji replied and tapped me on the shoulder, surprising me and snapping me out of my current thoughts.

"Eh? W-What?"

I could only react in a dumbfounded manner. I was still quite overwhelmed by the last series of events. The sharp eyed man threw me a scrutinizing gaze. I gulped involuntarily from the intensity. He then turned back to Dr. Saionji with a skeptical expression.

"You sure this guy can take it? He looks as plain as they come. Wet behind the ears too." he asked with a criticizing tone.

Ugh. I know I'm quite plain looking but but did he have to be so blunt about it?

Dr. Saionji laughed heartily and put his arm around my shoulder, acting all chummy.

"Don't worry. I can vouch for his ability. Given a little training, I'm sure he'll do quite well. Or do you not have faith in my eye for talent Lawrence?" he addressed the sharp eyed man with a teasing smile.

"Nothing of the sort my good doctor. Or should I say 'professor'? You've more than proven your scouting prowess already." the sharp eyed man retorted.

The both of them stared unblinking at each other for a few moments, then broke into hearty laughter soon afterward. Their behavior made it even more confusing and awkward for me. Just what were they expecting out of someone like me?

"Oh, right. I haven't really introduced you guys yet huh. This boorish fellow here is Lawrence Hill. As you may have noticed, he's the captain of this ship. The lovely lady over there is Miranda Hill, the woman unfortunate enough to have married this buffoon. She's also this ships Executive Officer. Lawrence. Mira. This young man right here is the latest recruit who agreed to participate in the Elysium project. He now goes by the name of Myst Evrard."

Noticing my awkward expression, Dr. Saionji jerked me towards the sharp eyed man and made an abrupt introduction. The sharp eyed man nodded towards me and the woman with the cold demeanor slightly smiled.

Eh?! They were married? It looks to me like the woman named Miranda was the ships vice captain or something. Is that even allowed? Dr. Saionji lightly chuckled at my reaction.

"Nice to meet you kid. And I take offence to that other statement! I vowed to make Mira the happiest woman in the galaxy the moment I decided to marry her." Cpt. Hill retorted in a surprisingly sincere tone.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but I don't think this is a proper time to be engaging in tomfoolery. We still have the aftermath of the earlier engagement to deal with. The Wyvern squadron is also awaiting further orders sir." Ms. Miranda pointed out after getting our attentions with a light cough. Although she sounded quite harsh, she couldn't hide the faint blush on her face, prompting Cpt. Hill to smile unabashedly. Dr. Saionji chuckled once more.

"Of course. Well then gentlemen, my queen has spoken. Back to work I go." Cpt. Hill cheerfully exclaimed and immediately turned his focus back towards giving out commands.

"Nemu, go ahead and guide Myst to his new quarters. I'll stay here and observe for a bit more. I'll hurry over to answer any question you have after I finish my business here lad." Dr. Saionji instructed. Seeing my reluctant expression, he said some words to reassure me.

Ms. Nemu immediately complied and dragged me out of the room. Even if I was still a bit reluctant, the sweet, flowery scent and the soft sensation on my arm made my misgivings go down the drain. I was successfully led out of the room with a still somewhat bewildered expression.

Part 3

The atmosphere instantly became heavy as soon as Myst got led away by Nemu.

"Are you really sure about this? You're planning to make him the primary test pilot for Unit E-S right? Will he really be up to snuff? He looked so confused and lost earlier. It's hard to imagine him having high potential." Cpt. Hill asked Dr. Saionji with a grave tone. Dr. Saionji smirked slightly.

"I'm quite sure about this Lawrence. That guy's quite interesting after all. I've observed and studied many latent espers in the past ever since we started this project, and he's one of the most remarkable I've seen in a while. Truly fascinating." he replied excitedly. Cpt. Hill's brows knitted after hearing it.

"Are you saying he's got potential on par with Blaise and the rest? What's his ability?" Cpt. Hill asked curiously.

"I haven't had the chance to find out what his ability is yet. But even now, I think his potential is outstanding." Dr. Saionji answered.

"Oh. How so? What made you become so taken with him?" Cpt. Hill probed further.

"His capability to sense and control High-Phonon particles is already at a very advanced level even without any formal training. That alone already makes him quite unique. Even Blaise and Izuho, two of our most outstanding subjects, couldn't exert such fine control over the particles at first." Dr. Saionji elaborated. Cpt. Hill's expression flashed with interest after hearing it.

"How high is his talent for particle control? To what extent is he able to influence them?" Cpt. Hill urged Dr. Saionji to elaborate further.

"He's already quite proficient in the particle refinement and integration stages. We had the opportunity to observe him doing just that the other day. It got us quite excited. I was also observing his reactions earlier, and have confirmed that the degree on which he's able to interact with High-Phonon particles has already exceeded our expectations." Dr. Saionji explained.

"Just what did he do earlier? I only saw him looking all confused." Cpt. Hill remarked.

"He actually probed Aegis' particle field Lawrence. I kept observing particle activity around him all throughout the engagement. There was a slight spike in particle activity as he was looking up at the hull earlier.

He managed to grasp them Lawrence. Regardless of distance. Regardless of several layers of reinforced composite armor plating between the bridge and the hull. Regardless of the interference from the aftermath of the Genion particle surge we got hit with earlier. He still did it. Do you understand just how remarkable that is?"

There was an obvious tinge of expectation in Dr. Saionji's voice as he talked. His eyes shined with barely repressed fervor.

"If all of that's true, then we've possibly encountered a real golden egg. The project's been stagnant for a while now. Even if our current subjects are progressing quickly in terms of developing their respective abilities, we haven't really made any significant progress with our main objectives. We have to proceed carefully and ascertain the extent of that guys ability. I assume you'll personally take charge of developing him."

Cpt. Hill's eyes flashed with anticipation as well. He finally began acknowledging Mysts value. He's known Dr. Satoru Saionji for quite some time even before they were drafted to participate in the Elysium project. He's quite confident in Dr. Saionji's analyses if nothing else.

"Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me. The guy's probably getting all anxious. It's time I take the opportunity to probe him a bit more."

Dr. Saionji made a playful salute, turned on his heels and headed out of Aegis' bridge to meet up with his new promising subject.

-Chapter 10 End-
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Chapter 11: Stirrings of Fate
Spoiler! :
Part 1

I'm lying on the bed of my new quarters languidly, probably looking all spaced out. Dr. Saionji came by earlier and answered some of the most pressing questions that got stuck in my head after witnessing something of that magnitude. I'm still finding it hard to digest all of the previous events without feeling lost.

Virtually all the knowledge and experience, however meager, that I've managed to acquire during my twenty years of life had been completely overturned. Of course I'd be distraught. This isn't something I could naturally accept just like that.

This unfamiliar world and the foreign body of knowledge they called 'Science' truly fascinated me. But I was also terrified. Completely, utterly terrified...

Battles like the one earlier made the ones waged in my old world seem like nothing. The sheer scale of it gave me goosebumps.

I felt my forehead up only to find it drenched in cold sweat. This situation really was crazy beyond all belief. And I had a feeling I was only able to gaze upon a very small part of it.

I had agreed to cooperate with Dr. Saionji for the time being as I try to gather more information. I felt that it was the best course of action I could have taken, given the circumstances. But now, I'm actually having second thoughts.

Even as I was assailed with countless worries, fatigue finally caught up to me and I slowly drifted to sleep.

Part 2

Dr. Saionji briskly walked towards his personal quarters with a somewhat annoying looking smirk hanging on his lips. He had met with his new prospect earlier and was quite satisfied with the results. He couldn't wait to mess around with the guy some more, especially after he's shown such promise.

"It looks like you're quite taken with your new found toy doctor."

Dr. Saionji turned around to find Nemu Morikaze looking at him with an expression of cold indifference. It was a large departure from her usual bubbly demeanor.

"How couldn't I be dear? That fellow is quite interesting after all. And he's not just a toy. He's THE toy."

The smirk never left Dr. Saionji's lips as he turned to reply. He's already quite used to dealing with this so called 'assistant nurse' who also happens to be an agent of the Confederation militaries Intelligence division. She's the one sent by those busybodies in order to keep him on a tight leash.

His smirk deepened at the thought. As if a pretty little thing like this could reign him in.

Still, he was quite thankful that the young woman in front of him actually played along with this little farce in quite an amusing manner. The two of them usually acted like they got along well; hiding their innermost thoughts and intentions from each other while constantly trying probe and sound the other out in a veritable mental game of cat and mouse.

"You shouldn't get too invested in him just yet. His circumstances are quite unexpectedly complicated. Even if he proves to be a potential major asset, his background is still quite a cause for concern." Nemu warned. Dr. Saionji just shrugged it off nonchalantly.

"Don't worry. I read the report. I think it's part of his charm actually. I don't know what he was trying to accomplish by entering the Confederation military through a forged identity. But the irony is what makes it interesting, don't you think?" Dr. Saionji said as he chuckled in obvious amusement.

Nemu shook her head slightly and sighed.

"Unlike you, I don't have a taste for playing with fire. Managing to slip through Confederation Intelligence's scrutiny for so long and even successfully enrolling and graduating from the C.E.I.S. Defense Forces TF pilot training academy without a hitch most likely proves he still has a considerably solid and competent support base." she replied and tossed a portable data terminal towards Dr. Saionji with a huff.

"His forged personal data and citizenship were incredibly thorough. Took all we had to ferret the truth about his background. Considering what happened to him, it's quite possible that the people behind him would start to act in some way.

He's too much of an unknown. So are the elements backing him. And if his background comes to light, there's probably going to be a lot of people who'll come after his head. And they're most likely going to be from both sides too. Miya Iwamori is a prime example."

Dr. Saionji remained indifferent even after Nemu's cautionary statements. Naturally, he'd already considered things to that extent. Even so, he's still determined to have Myst join the project. He had already vowed not to pass an opportunity like this up, risks be damned. He beamed at Nemu and waved his free hand dismissively.

"I appreciate the warning Nemu-chan. Even so, I think the potential he offers is worth the risks involved. And besides, it's not like we're gonna move in and crack down on his shadowy conspirators just like that right? Considering his past and background, the people supporting him may be competent, but I doubt they have enough clout with either side nor enough manpower to pose a significant threat to us. After all, if they're who we think they are, then they're actually considered traitors and hated enemies by both camps.

Besides, we have the best possible hostage right with us. Conveniently enough, he's apparently had a major breakdown. Now he's lost, confused and more easily led to suit our needs, no matter what his background and former goals were.

We can also use him as a bargaining chip to possibly gain the services of his "little helpers". They'll surely attempt to make contact. If they're still willing to serve the guy even after all that's happened, they're either extremely loyal or are confident that sticking with him will benefit them in the long run, despite the risk. That alone merits some interest."

Dr. Saionji paused abruptly and focused his gaze on Nemu's countenance, which had turned increasingly grim. His eyes seemed like that of a hunter staring down his prey.

"I'm sure you and your superiors have already considered such options. In fact, I'm sure that's exactly the course of action they ordered you to take. Therefore, this discussion is actually moot. It's not good to mix personal feelings with work my dear." Dr. Saionji rambled on while sporting one of his insincere smiles. Nemu's brows twitched slightly. But she quickly gained her composure and let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine. You win. Just don't forget your place. As long as you do not step out of line, you'll have our full cooperation and support." she retorted.

"But of course milady."

Dr. Saionji bowed theatrically as he replied. Nemu momentarily shot him an icy glare and walked away.

Dr. Saionji let out a soft chuckle and continued on towards his quarters. His heart rate was uncharacteristically elevated. It seems he was more excited about the future than he first thought.

"This unsightly status quo... It's finally time to smash it to bits." he whispered in a voice not even he himself could hear.

Part 3

-CSS Aegis: Maximum Security Brig-

Miya Iwamori sat completely still on the small bed attached to the wall of her cell, immersed in quiet contemplation. She was busy admonishing herself for giving in to her emotions as she attempted to fulfill her designated mission. She hadn't expected that she would be affected to that extent.

Even now, she was endeavoring to settle her fraught nerves. It's like all the training she had undergone got invalidated in that one moment. Her mind blanked out and all her pent up frustration and hatred exploded. She attempted to get rid of the source, but landed in her current predicament instead.

She let out a light, derisive chuckle. Who would have thought that snot nosed brat would actually learn how to fight. And he was actually decent to boot. That was a little too hard for Miya to swallow, considering the fact that she knew him since they were children.

Yes.

She "knew" him...

At one point, she had even pledged to serve him. Him and not his father nor his older brother who was the actual heir.

She had adored him.

That fact made seeing him in his current pathetic state all the more painful and, above all, infuriating!

"How dare he forget!..." she spat out in a venomous tone.

The hopelessness and despair that overcame her after the betrayal of the ones she and her family had served and protected for generations had scarred her deeply. She even believed there could be no greater pain. And yet, there was.

The young master she had thought dead had unexpectedly come into her life again. She should have been elated. But instead, all she felt was seething anger. Whether it was directed at him or her own person, even she wasn't sure.

She couldn't bear seeing him waste away like this. "Severe trauma? Amnesia?!" she whispered in a vexed voice. Even death would have been better, she thought. Her earlier attempt to kill him was, in a way, something that she did partly to protect his honor. What remained of it anyway.

A grin slowly spread on her lips and grew increasingly lopsided as she contemplated her actions. She faintly realized just how utterly absurd and unreasonable she was being. But it couldn't be helped. She was thoroughly, utterly broken after all. Ever since that faithful day...

As she further sank into a depressed silence, someone abruptly entered her cell. Upon seeing who it was, Miya instantly grew wary.

"What do YOU want?!" she spat out with a tone surprisingly tinged with nervousness. Her instincts were practically screaming "danger".

"I have a proposition for you, young lady." the visitor began. The persons voice carried a calm, serene quality. The gaze fixed upon Miya did not have any hint of antagonism within it. But it was also highly indifferent and unfathomable. It elicited a foreign sense of incongruity within her.

An almost instinctual feeling of rejection invaded her heart. And yet, all she could manage to do was stay still, transfixed by that lofty gaze.

For the first time in her life, the young woman known as Miya Iwamori experienced an overpowering sense of dread.

- Chapter 11 End -
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Swordstriker21
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Re: OLN: Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mech Pilo

Post by Swordstriker21 »

Interlude I
Spoiler! :
Part 1

- Vandel Kingdom capital Vandelas: Royal Palace -

A string of collective sighs arose from several men and women seated around a fairly large decorative table. They were currently inside one of the royal palaces central rooms.

These people were ministers who led various departments that served to run the entire kingdom. Some also acted as the queens personal advisors. They all held grim and troubled expressions and were seemingly nearing the end of their ropes.

"How could this happen?!" a man who sported a thick, silvery white beard cried out mournfully. He was Albrecht Applewood, one of the royal advisers. He felt increasingly baffled by the current situation which has persisted for a number of days already.

The entire kingdom had been preparing for the betrothal of their beloved queen to the celebrated hero that rid the lands of the demon lord and its ilk. It was as supposed to be an auspicious and grand spectacle that gathered the attention of the entire central continent.

Dignitaries and leaders of various major powers from both within and without the continent came to give the couple their blessings. Forming better diplomatic ties with the kingdom would come naturally of course. It was deemed as an event that would herald the Vandel kingdoms recognition as the most influential power in the central continent, eclipsing even the venerable Almadeus theocracy.

Unfortunately, all that did not come to pass after a piece of unfortunate news found its way to the royal couples ears. One of their closest friends had gone missing after getting caught up in an accident within the Elmoore mountains.

The pair was instantly plunged in grief and refused to go through with the ceremony. Queen Felise immediately dispatched an elite search party to find her friends whereabouts. Lord Vance even offered to lead them. He was ultimately dissuaded by some of the royal advisers, imploring him to stay with the queen.

A week has passed without any positive news. The search party formed of veteran rangers had failed to find anything related to the royal couples friend. They had surveyed the accident site thoroughly countless times but had not discovered any clues which would potentially lead to the whereabouts of the unfortunate fellow.

Several dignitaries from foreign powers had already begun to voice dissatisfaction concerning the recent turn of events. They argued that the degree of importance given to a single person, a commoner at that, bordered on ridiculous - even if he was the royal couples good friend. Most of those from outside the central continent had already left in indignation. The minister of foreign affairs almost pulled out his remaining wisps of gray hair in frustration.

But, regardless of how much they tried to persuade them, Queen Felise and Lord Vance remained firm in their stance - there will be no wedding until their friend was found. It was an uncharacteristically bullish attitude from the both of them, who were known to have always remained calm and levelheaded even at the height of the demon war.

Albrecht sat back down limply after venting. No matter how many times they had to do it, they had to persuade the couple to go through with the ceremony and put the kingdom at ease. He couldn't help but hold a little resentment in his heart for the missing young man whose predicament had put a damper to the momentous occasion, even if he thought it improper. He was sure the rest of the ministers, and even the citizens felt the same way.

Part 2

A young woman with golden blonde hair that was set into a neat bun stood in a corner of the queens chambers. Her gentle expression held a hint of worry at the sight of her queen staring out of the window with a blank, almost lifeless gaze.

This young woman, Sarah Lumiere, is Queen Felise's personal attendant. She stuck with her mistress through thick and thin and had risked her life to serve at her side during the demon war.

Since the queen never really put any emphasis on the difference in station, they are as close to each other as real sisters. But even she was at a loss about how to comfort her mistress and good friend, who was now suffering from deep sorrow.

"Lisa, it's me. Can I come in?" a pleasant male voice called out from outside the room.

Queen Felise got up with a start and frantically opened the door to her chambers, not giving Sarah any chance to react. A vigorous young man with auburn hair entered the room with a composed gait.

Vance Rayleigh stood in front of the two young ladies sporting a somewhat troubled look. His countenance still held a hint of youthful mischief. But there was also steel within his gaze. A kind of fierceness and ruthlessness borne out of walking a multitude of merciless battlefields and facing overwhelming peril.

But right now, his aura that was akin to an unsheathed blade was barely noticeable. Replacing it was an air of profound sorrow that stained his visage.

"Have they found him Van? Please tell me they've found him."

Impatience. Worry. Despair. Hope. Queen Felise's emotions had become exceedingly chaotic during the past few days after she had learned of Mysts disappearance. It marred her graceful features, which have turned even more enchanting during the last couple of years, and made her look somewhat haggard and weary.

Her jade colored eyes now carried a hint of red due to crying. Bags had also appeared under them due to her spending several sleepless nights in constant worry. Her lustrous fiery red hair had become somewhat frayed and disheveled. She continued to look at Vance with a sorry pleading look which made him sigh helplessly.

"I'm sorry Lisa. You're already familiar with Avery's skills. He's our kingdoms best tracker. He's already doing all he can to find any clues about Myst. Right now there's still no news. But I'm sure we'll find some clues soon." Vance replied.

"Soon? SOON?! You've been saying that for days! What if he's gravely injured? He needs us Van. We need to find him. We have to!"

Felise broke into large sobs after losing the last vestiges of her composure. Vance enveloped her in a tight embrace. Her delicate hands balled up into fists and she started hitting his chest repeatedly with them. Vance spoke reassuring words softly in order to calm her down. She stopped hitting him after a while but continued to cry in his arms.

It looked very much like a loving couple comforting each other in a time of grief. But Sarah knew otherwise.

Having accompanied the both of them during the demon war, she had grown close to them like family, regardless of their positions. They had confided their deepest fears and hopes with each other in that period of roiling violence and battle, not knowing if the next breath that they take would be their last.

And she knew... that only the sole figure of an ordinary young man occupied the depths of both Vance and Felise's heart.

Her hands clasped in solemn prayer to the Highest Goddess Alma. All she could do right now was to earnestly wish for their happiness.

In her heart, she harbored curiosity for the young man who held the affection of these two remarkable individuals. She decided to pray for his safety as well.

- Interlude 1 End -
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