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Kael noticed Philip's arrival immediately and stood up to offer a polite greeting.
"Did you create this daemon?" Philip approached the Mechanical Gear Puppet, his voice low, vibrating with suppressed excitement.
"Yes. I intended to inform you eventually, but I didn't expect the demonstration to be so... public," Kael replied. Having accepted the Boreas family's extensive funding, Kael knew he had to deliver. This fully automatic Gear Puppet was his "repayment."
Of course, the primary purpose was still his own. The Puppet acted as a remote data-gathering unit, transmitting combat analysis and environmental sensory data to Sandrone via a "Mental Synchronization" link. It was a local area network for artificial souls. Sandrone held absolute administrative rights over the Puppet; she could even override its sub-system to control it directly. In a world without the internet, Kael was building his own web of information.
Philip, oblivious to the "Skynet" Kael was weaving, saw only the martial potential. "Can these be mass-produced?"
"Certainly. It only requires establishing a specialized Doll Workshop based on my schematics."
Philip took a sharp breath. "Kael, we need to have a proper talk. In private."
The Marriage Alliance
"Eh? Father!" Eris huffed, her face red from the sudden exclusion. "You said you were here to see me!"
"Sorry, Eris. Stay with Sandrone for a while," Philip said, dismissive of his daughter's temper. It was only after Kael reached out and smoothed Eris's hair—a gesture that made her lean in despite herself—that she settled down.
"I almost forgot... this is for you," Eris muttered, thrusting a wrapped book at Kael. "It's a gift. You'd better like it."
"I like it very much. Thank you, Eris," Kael smiled, watching her beam with "tsundere" pride.
Inside the study, the negotiation was swift. Kael's father, still nursing a bruised rib and a bruised ego, joined them. He understood that a hundred of these puppets meant a hundred Advanced Swordsmen—a force that could rival the most elite knight orders in the Asura Kingdom.
"I have only one requirement," Kael stated, his tone flat but unyielding. "My daemons must be allowed to spread across the entire world."
Philip silenced his inner politician and nodded, but he countered with a condition of his own. "Kael, I want you to marry Eris when you reach adulthood."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Philip, you're starting to sound like a villain."
"Nobles aren't protagonists, Kael," Philip laughed, leaning over to put an arm around the boy's shoulder. "It's a standard alliance. If you fancy other girls later, I've plenty of experience facilitating... extra-curricular arrangements. Just keep Eris as the primary."
"Fine, fine. I agree," Kael said, pushing the overly warm Philip away. He knew that tying himself to the Boreas line provided the ultimate shield for his research.
The Fiancée's Protest
Philip left the room, tasking Kael with "making him a grandfather eventually," a comment that earned him a look of utter speechlessness from Kael.
Eris burst in moments later, her voice nearly piercing the roof. "Bean Sprout! What did you say to my father?! He told me I have to listen to you now!"
Kael's father took that as his cue to slip away, leaving the two "fiancés" alone.
"You don't know?" Kael asked, walking toward Eris until her face was inches from his.
"Know what?" she tilted her head, her fiery red hair bristling.
"Mr. Philip has married you off to me. From now on, you're mine." Kael pressed his hand against her head, looking deep into her eyes. The anger in her pupils was rapidly being replaced by a staggering wave of bashfulness.
"That's... impossible! He didn't even ask me!" Eris took a step back, but Kael matched her, step for step.
"And what is your opinion?"
"If you want to marry me, you'll have to see if you have the ability, Bean Sprout!" Eris responded the only way she knew how: with a punch the size of a bun.
The Victory Check
Kael didn't use magic. He blocked her strike and pinned her to the floor. "This is for the future of the household, Little Chili. Who's on top?"
"This doesn't count! I didn't have a sword!" Eris screamed.
Kael let her up. She ran out, grabbed a wooden sword, and lunged. In a blur of motion, Kael snatched the blade from her hands and held it against her throat. Eris froze. The realization that her "Advanced" talent was nothing compared to Kael's raw precision shattered her confidence.
Tears welled in her eyes. "Don't think you can marry me just because you won..." she sniffled.
"Then I'll just turn Philip down," Kael shrugged.
"You can't!" Eris stomped her feet. "I... I will fulfill my duties as a fiancée. Until we are adults, then we'll have a real rematch!" Her face was so red it looked like it was about to boil.
"Is that so?" Kael reached out and pinched her cheek. Eris endured the shame, her eyes squeezed shut.
Kael didn't wait for adulthood. He leaned in and kissed her. It was a taste of spicy-sweet rebellion, and for the first time in her life, Eris Boreas Greyrat found herself completely silenced.
The Aftermath
At dinner, Sauros noticed Eris's empty seat. "Where is the girl?"
"In her room," Philip replied, rubbing a fresh bruise on his head from his father's "teaching." "I found her a fiancé. It's Kael."
"Oh!" Sauros laughed boisterously. "Then Eris is getting the better end of that deal. The boy has a bright future."
Upstairs, Eris was in a cycle of violence and daze. She would punch her pillow, screaming, "Pervert! Lecher! Bean Sprout!" and then immediately hug it to her face, her fingers tracing her red, swollen lips with a look of utter confusion.
The cycle repeated well into the night.
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