Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 174. The Diplomatic News

Lyra, the elven administrator, clasped her hands over the datapad. Her tall, elegant figure was held in an overly straight posture, which further accentuated her curves. Her signature high ponytail swished mesmerisingly, like a silken waterfall cascading over her tan suit.

Beside her, Lunarius Severan Vonhal folded his hands behind his back, a broad smile flashing his white teeth in the afternoon light. His trademark moustache was perfectly styled, lending him the air of a distinguished gentleman. He was dressed in a white and grey uniform with silver chains, topped with a tall hat. His aesthetic favoured a monochromatic colour scheme, always punctuated by an accent colour for a hint of extravagance.

Lyra tugged on Severan’s sleeve, drawing his attention.

“Hey! Who messed up the training ground?” Severan blurted out, wiggling his nose. He then swept his eyes around, searching for the on-duty Novitcius.

“Greetings, Ryusei-sama,” Zetius said, bowing politely at the waist before he and Astrid joined the royal entourage. Simultaneously, Friederich, Yammi, and the Virgo mages formed a semicircle and exchanged a few pleasantries.

Ryusei waved a gloved hand, his expression soft and casual. “There’s no need to be so formal with me, everyone.”

Meanwhile, Severan and Lyra frantically hurried off to find someone to fix the rupture on the ground. Ryusei watched them go with a faint smile before turning back to the rest of the group.

“How is everyone’s training going?” Ryusei asked.

“It’s going swimmingly, Your Majesty,” Astrid replied promptly, her voice rising in pitch. The rest of the group gave a collective nod of agreement.

“We don’t use that sort of language anymore, Astrid,” Ryusei said, lightly tapping the air. “But I do appreciate the novelty.”

Astrid cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment.

“Papa! We’ve been training hard in the arcane arts. Cubie here has also been trying her best, and Frain is too, though she’s still working out at another section,” Aurelia interjected, eyeing Zetius, who beamed in return.

Ryusei nodded in satisfaction. “Zetius, it’s been a while since we spoke. I’d like to congratulate you on your recent reunion with your surrogate family.”

“Right, it was Astrid’s idea to utilise the fleet of P.N.I. bots,” Zetius explained, pointing a thumb at her.

Astrid remained unbothered. “It wasn’t all me. I still had to ask my father and get the prime minister’s permission,” she grumbled, almost to herself.

“Well, I’m glad that it all worked out in the end. I wish I could have gone with you,” Aurelia added gleefully. “Papa, Hasenwald is such a beautiful city! You must come and see its grand riverfall one day. It’s awesome!” Her words were laced with excitement.

“Is that so?” Ryusei chuckled, fond of his daughter’s innocence.

“I can support that,” Friederich added his own observation. "The architecture is remarkable, with the stark white buildings integrated seamlessly into the cliffs. It's not just for aesthetics, either. It creates an incredibly efficient network of lifts and escalators. Truly marvellous."

Astrid shrugged. “Well, this time of year wasn’t the best for the view. The whole thing was frozen over, by the way.”

“Okay, killjoy!” Aurelia snapped.

“It is the truth. I did not witness the grand riverfall you refer to,” Cubie added in a melancholic tone, prompting a chorus of sympathetic noises from the group.

After a moment’s pause, Zetius began, “Speaking of which, Ryusei-sama, why did you visit the Arcana Institute? It can’t be that you’re just curious about how we are.”

“Can’t it be just that?” Ryusei teased with a grin.

“I highly doubted that. You’re the man of efficiency, after all.” Zetius replied.

Seeing Zetius’s clear scepticism, Ryusei smiled from ear to ear. “Well, we’re making preparations for the diplomatic entourage for the Astral Empress of the Osten Empire.”

“Empress Aurora herself?!” Friederich choked out. “Why haven’t I—”

“What’s wrong, Fried?” Aurelia cut in, narrowing her eyes with a mischievous smile. “Did she scare you last time?”

“Wait! Wait! You have met the empress before?!” Zetius babbled with puzzlement. “I can’t say I’m not jealous.” He admitted.

“We did, apparently,” Friederich said, shutting his eyes as he replayed the event. “During the peace treaty negotiations between the two great empires. It didn’t end well.” His expression shifted to one of dread.

“Hopefully,” Ryusei cleared his throat, “we’ll be able to accommodate her to our highest standards, while avoiding bloodshed at all costs,” he announced theatrically.

A murmur of anticipation erupted through the crowd. In the background, Lunarius Severan and Lyra returned with a few Novitcius mages of Capricorn.

“This ground and the cracked wall over there! Make sure the shade of colour is an exact match!” Severan bellowed his order.

“Acknowledged!” the mages shouted in a crisp tone before immediately starting the repairs.

For a while, they watched the mages work in harmony, casting Domoklasis and funnelling the magic to flatten the ground back into shape. The last to join the royal group was Frain. The Lioness finally had the chance to introduce herself and officially meet the prime minister for the first time.

“Anyone thirsty? Let’s get some beverages!” Ryusei proposed in his kind, gentle tone. “Yammi, may I bother you for a moment?” He motioned to her, and Yammi nodded with grace.

“We’ll come and help!” the Novitcius mages of Virgo volunteered.

“Ah! Much appreciated!” Yammi exclaimed with joy as they headed to a nearby store.

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Shortly afterwards, Yammi and the Virgo mages returned, and they all enjoyed the cool drinks together. Meanwhile, the sun now dipped below the horizon, painting the sky purple. The atmosphere was filled with warmth and joy as they casually discussed trivial things, their conversation flowing on and on.

The occasional laughter and chatter echoed throughout the dome.

An unexpected day like this felt like a real home. Zetius stole a glance at Aurelia, who was yapping nonstop, and even the quiet ones like Friederich joined in with the discussion. In truth, Zetius couldn’t help but appreciate the returning sense of normalcy, and he wished he could make this moment last a while longer.

***

Zetius stepped out of his hot bath, a wave of relaxation washing his exhaustion away. He had already changed into a black linen shirt and trousers for bed.

A joyful melody reverberated from his queen-size bed. Frain lay there, her blonde hair spread out like beautiful wings. She was playfully throwing Cubie into the air and catching her as if she were a toy. Zetius frowned at the odd sight at first, but it was undeniable that they seemed to be getting along well. He did admit that they had him worried about their clashing personalities initially.

“Yippie!” Cubie exclaimed with joy, and Frain chuckled like a little kid.

“Having fun, you two?” Zetius greeted, perching on the edge of the bed.

Frain clasped her hands around Cubie and sat up to face him. “Hehe, I used to spend a lot of time playing with the twins like this.”

“Oh, Lumie and Lumus, right?” Zetius hummed.

Frain nodded energetically. “Yep!”

“Mmm, I’m not a little kid, though,” Cubie chimed in, her blue light flashing in sync with her words.

Zetius cracked up, his gaze lingering on her fondly.

“Jack—” Frain paused, correcting herself, “I mean, Zetius.”

Raising his brows slightly, he waited for her to continue.

“About Lupus… umm… ” Frain drew her lips into a thin line, struggling for words.

“Right…” Zetius clipped, a numb jolt shooting through him. He locked eyes with Frain, his resolve solidifying. His fingers gently brushed a lock of golden hair from her face. “I’ll find her. Don’t you worry.”

“Believe in him, Sister Frain. Zetius will never give up, just like he never gave up on you,” Cubie interjected, her tone full of confidence and pride.

A smile graced Frain’s face. “I know. Thank you for never giving up on us. You, too, Cubie.” The smile was then replaced with a hint of sorrow. “Although… we’re not your real family…” She bit her lip.

Zetius shook his head. “That’s not true, Frain. It might seem complicated with my two identities, but I want you to know that Jack was still me. You and Lupus are Jack’s family, my family.”

“And I am your cute assistant!” Cubie added, causing the others to chuckle.

“And~Cubie is my daughter. Sort of,” Zetius admitted with a contented smile.

Frain inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and taking in his gentle words. The warmth she thought she had lost had just returned. There was no more doubt; Zetius was still the same man who would die for his family, the man she looked up to.

For a while, a comfortable quiet filled the room. Zetius was the first to break the silence. “Frain, by the way… I’ve never asked you about your past, have I?”

She nodded, glancing out of the tall window. Her doe eyes glittered like a pair of amethysts.

“It’s just… well, you must have had a family too,” Zetius spoke up, curious. “Mind telling me about it?”

Frain shook her head. “I have… umm, where should I start?”

“From the very beginning!” Cubie instructed.

“I don’t quite remember it… Unlike you, Cubie. You mentioned you awakened at the same time as Zetius, right?”

“That’s correct. I was still in the infancy stage of things, but I remember Zetius’s naked butt like it was yesterday,” she jested a bit too boldly.

Frain’s brows furrowed deeply. “Why was he naked?” she probed.

“Wait,” Zetius interrupted to no avail.

“I don’t know, he was reborn like that. Hehehe,” Cubie giggled.

Feeling his face grow hot, Zetius warned, “Cubie, that’s a private matter!” He quickly composed himself. “Anyway, back to the topic. Would you mind?”

“Well, for one, it doesn’t work like that for me. My childhood memories are hazy. But I remember living in a tent-like structure. There were a lot of my kind there,” Frain muttered, searching her memory.

“Hmm… You might have been born in a tribal village,” Zetius speculated.

“Then, something happened to my village. I didn’t quite understand it, but someone led me through a field… like we were fleeing from something,” Frain continued.

“I see.” Zetius nodded, then a thought crossed his mind. “Wait. You have been a slave for how many years?” he choked out.

Eagerly, Frain counted on her fingers. “Hmm… maybe twelve years. I was very young when I got my circlet.” She involuntarily brushed her neck, where the memory of the cold iron remained like a part of her.

“Holy Gaia…” Zetius ground his teeth, his blood boiling. His hands clenched involuntarily, knuckles turning white.

“It’s fine, Zetius. It’s all in the past now,” Frain reassured him, her gentle touch on his forearm a calming anchor. She smiled faintly.

He let the anger pass through him like water in a stream. He knew better than to give in to hatred, even for the world's rotten system. This was the past, but it would always be a reminder of what he fought for: freedom.

After a few deep breaths, Zetius regained his calm demeanour. “Seems like your past is another mystery to solve,” he continued, tilting his head to the side.

“Zetius,” Frain called out, “not everything needs to be solved... Like you said, I’ve already found where I belong here.”

His red eyes blinked at her, momentarily dazed. “Still… it would be nice to know, no?”

His relentless curiosity amused her. “Well, I know you can’t help it.”

“Riddle me this. Lion Wildren aren't that common, are they?” Zetius asked, crossing his arms.

“I agree. I haven’t seen any of my kind anywhere,” Frain admitted.

He chewed on that for a moment. “I know! Cubie, do you remember when we first arrived at the Colosseum?” he blurted out excitedly.

“I do. There were three matches in total that day,” Cubie confirmed.

“The first match, there was that warmongering Novitcius. He was a Lion Wildren who utilised a giant war hammer,” Zetius babbled, his thoughts racing.

Cubie froze, accessing the data from her core memory. A moment later, she chimed, “Lothar of the Lioress Clan!”

Zetius smiled. “Bingo! It would be good to have a talk with him. Does the name ring a bell, Frain?”

Promptly, Frain shook her head, and his excitement deflated.

“I guess that’s a start… well,” Frain consoled, before springing to her feet and stretching. “It’s late already. I should head back now. I’m so tired from all the training.”

Cubie zipped to Frain’s eye level. “Sister Frain, why don’t you stay for the night?”

Zetius raised to their side. “Cubie…” he signalled his disagreement.

“Fine, I’ll sleep on the floor,” Frain beamed, pointing at the fluffy carpet made from expensive-looking fur. “I have done it before.”

“Look!” Cubie landed on the bed and rolled around. “This bed is awfully large for just Zetius and me,” she cajoled. “Think of it as a girls’ night.”

“Except I’m not a girl,” Zetius grumbled softly, so only he could hear. His protest stopped short, however, when he sensed the change in her. It wasn't just a simple wish. The very energy Cubie exuded, the air around her, seemed to vibrate with a genuine plea, conveying a need so profound he couldn't dismiss it.

The man sighed in sympathy and exchanged a look with Frain. “Just so you know, you don’t have to indulge her.”

“Please!” Cubie insisted cutely. She wasn't giving up anytime soon.

“Hehe, it’s settled then!” Frain beamed with satisfaction, hugging Cubie to her chest. A faint warmth crept up to her core, a feeling so intense that Zetius could feel it too.

And so, the night drew to a cosy close.

For tomorrow, was the big day for the people of Solis Aeternum.