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Join the ServerThe palace’s public hall was a luxurious, miniature domed stadium, complete with spectator seating. The second floor was encircled with seats, while the first floor remained a vast, open space. This design allowed for diverse stage installations and could easily accommodate numerous media outlets, making it the perfect venue for large-scale events.
Today, however, the guests invited to the hall were limited, excluding the media itself. Even with the machinery installed, the hall still offered ample space, yet it felt anything but empty. This was largely due to the Aitoolia Empire’s reputation for possessing the continent’s most advanced technology concerning Espers and Guides. Though they collaborated with other nations on tech transfers, matching tests, and various research projects, the live broadcast of a matching test was almost unprecedented, and even the reporters seemed subtly thrilled.
The King was notably absent. While it was clear his mood had soured due to the Moore family’s recent actions, his reason for not attending was also justifiable. Though this event, meant to confirm the qualifications of a Guide dubbed the ‘Flower of the Empire,’ was framed as a festival highlight, it was, at its core, merely a matching test. With both princes, who held claims to the throne, already in attendance, the King’s presence would have been considered excessive.
Seizing an opportunity that many media outlets were keenly focused on, Devon Green ascended the platform in his capacity as the center director. Dressed in a simple suit beneath his director’s gown, he wore a flamboyant tie, deliberately drawing attention to his face. Soon after, his smooth voice resonated through the speakers.
[The machine installed today is a new testing device, designed for ease of mobility, installation, and disassembly. Ethan Prescott, who has received a title, plays a crucial role in the Spring Flower Festival, yet regrettably, he possesses no proper matching records. This is because he has only recently had a truly fated encounter with Colonel Bliss Moore, the Empire’s Spear, who has just found his Guide.]
A tongue, smooth as a serpent’s, was celebrating the meeting of Bliss Moore and Ethan Prescott. Ethan, feeling a surge of revulsion, turned his head and spotted Scott. Standing alongside other attendants in close proximity to Devon Green, Scott was listening intently to Devon’s words, his posture ardent.
‘Why, exactly, was Devon Green keeping Scott so close?’ Upon hearing that Scott had become Devon’s attendant, Enoch Cloud had frequented the vicinity of Devon’s palace, desperate to meet him. He had even submitted a request for an audience with Devon, but his impure intentions ensured a swift and unequivocal refusal.
Though Enoch could occasionally glimpse Scott passing by, engaging him in conversation had become nearly impossible. Consequently, Enoch had been forced to rely on Ethan’s generosity for additional funds, a pocket as substantial as Ethan’s fist. Lost in his despair, he ultimately did not attend today’s event. Instead, Huey Cloud, representing the Cloud family, caught Ethan’s eye and offered a subtle nod of acknowledgment.
From Bliss’s side, Captain Chase’s gaze swept across the assembled crowd before settling on a single point. There, he spotted the lord of Veliki, who had betrayed Zaisler and Riga. This lord had recently arrived in Ashilton, confirmed the results of the domain war, and was now asserting ownership of the Ekaneum mine, alongside revisions to the existing maps.
The Riga lord, whose leg had been replaced by a sophisticated robotic prosthesis, had recently visited to meet Emma and Violet. He had expressed his delight at Violet having found a new matching Guide, and in the same breath, had requested assistance regarding the mine’s ownership.
“Come to think of it,” Captain Chase murmured, “many of the matching test machines used by the center are from Zaisler.”
At Captain Chase’s casual remark, Doctor Sera’s eyebrow shot skyward.
“A Moore family matching test machine, you say?” Doctor Sera scoffed, “They must be feeling a sense of competition. But they’re quite mistaken. It won’t be easy to create a masterpiece like our ‘Blackie’.”
“Sera,” Philip interjected, his face aghast, “did you just name that sleek, magnificent machine ‘Blackie’?”
As Philip asked with a dumbfounded expression, Captain Chase also chimed in.
“A more powerful name would certainly be preferable,” Captain Chase remarked.
“Lord Ethan, Lord Bliss, please prepare,” the official instructed.
The event coordinator approached Ethan, who had been chuckling at the ill-timed debate over names. Ethan slowly took a deep breath.
As the cover of the machine capsule, developed by Moore Corp, slid silently downwards, gasps of admiration erupted from the onlookers. The sleek black device occupied a significantly smaller footprint compared to Zaisler’s existing model, which was widely considered the global standard. Furthermore, the connector linking the Guide and Esper capsules was ingeniously designed to fold away when not in use.
Unlike previous models, which had a dedicated control panel for each machine, this new design allowed a single control panel to connect to multiple units, suggesting multi-processing capabilities.
As Ethan stepped onto the machine, the waiting robotic arms extended in unison, swiftly connecting the necessary wires before retracting.
[Compatibility test commencing!]
The compatibility categories from the control panel were projected onto the large monitor.
“…How peculiar,” one of the assembled Esper nobles murmured, “Shouldn’t a light have appeared in one of the physical categories by now?”
As one of the gathered Esper nobles muttered in wonder, the Zaisler lord, who had been sitting with his arms crossed, nodded in agreement.
“Typically, even when guiding isn’t possible, a faint detection would still register,” the Zaisler lord commented, “It seems this particular test machine might have a lower sensitivity.”
At their casual chatter, Doctor Sera, her researchers, and the engineers who had installed the equipment all grimaced. Philip had to physically restrain her, as she looked poised to lunge at those who dared to disparage their groundbreaking research.
“Sera,” Philip said, “What do they truly understand? Just let them misunderstand.”
“Let me go!” Doctor Sera fumed. “Those people are daring to insult my ‘Blackie’!
“…You even gave the machine a name?” Philip asked incredulously.
“How dare they compare it to an outdated model!” Doctor Sera retorted.
As they bickered, a clear green light finally illuminated the section for rare compatibilities. An inexplicable tension suddenly permeated the entire hall.
[Shadow]
Only a single compatibility had lit up, yet its rarity in that specific location made its presence feel all the more potent. To guide Bliss Moore, one needed either a Water or Shadow compatibility. Even those who had secretly wished for the more common Water-type were momentarily stunned into silence.
This time, however, the chatter grew noticeably louder, as if deliberately intended to be overheard.
“Ah, as expected,” one noble remarked. “It seems only the responses significant enough to be recognized as actual compatibility have appeared.”
“While it’s a new model,” another chimed in, “it seems its focus was primarily on mobility.”
Doctor Sera, who had been grinding her teeth, poised to lunge forward again, faltered at their awkward conversation and turned to look back. Philip sighed, then whispered softly.
“Those nobles currently chattering,” Philip cautioned, “they are all supporters of His Highness Devon. Don’t get swept up in their provocations, Doctor Sera.”
“But there are media outlets trying to interview them!” Doctor Sera protested.
Philip lowered his voice, speaking quickly, almost in a whisper to Doctor Sera.
“Think carefully, Sera,” Philip urged. “This machine was never intended for commercialization. The technology that nearly doubled its sensitivity for Lord Bliss must not be revealed to Zaisler! There’s a very specific reason we stated it would only be used for military Espers for the time being!”
At his words, the tension drained from Doctor Sera’s body. This matching test machine, painstakingly crafted by Doctor Sera, her research team, and all the developers at Moore Corp for Bliss Moore, was the culmination of a desperate effort to locate any Guide, no matter how faint their rare compatibility might be.
This equipment, which might have seemed of little use to other Espers, gained significant new value upon being registered as military-grade gear. Beyond its inherent mobility, its exceptional sensitivity drastically accelerated the speed of matching tests between ordinary Guides and Espers.
This technology proved incredibly useful for quickly identifying new matching pairs when a Guide or Esper was lost in battle. While it was regrettable that the researchers had deliberately slowed this magnificent machine to artificially lower Bliss and Ethan’s matching rate and compatibility, there was also a sense of relief. With Devon having brought in the broadcast media, not having to reveal all of its true capabilities was, in a way, a blessing.
Zaisler, an autonomous region situated within Aitoolia, had capitalized on its significant regional advantage: abundant reserves of Ekaneum, a material indispensable for Esper-Guide medical equipment. This strategic move was built upon the trust they had cultivated by supplying various medical and testing devices to Aitoolia’s Esper-Guide research center.
As Zaisler operated a company that ranked first globally in the medical equipment sector, their brand held far greater public recognition than that of the comparatively insular Moore family. Devon, of course, would never let such an opportunity slip by.
As Bliss was lost in thought, the event coordinator approached him.
“Lord Bliss,” the coordinator announced, “please prepare for the matching test.”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, I Want To Bite You is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : I Want To Bite You
