Chapter 20

The underground Slums where the homeless...well, get a home, is now currently being attacked by dozens of Automatons.

The populace of the slums run towards the gate where we first met the kid and his goons.

But luckily, the automatons are only after one person, so the people living here are ignored.

[Percival] “Dr. Hyde, above you!”

Hearing Percy’s shout, Doc, looks up and finds an Automaton diving towards him with its hand replaced with a blade that has the length in about 3 or 4 feet.

[Dr. Hyde] “Hngggg!”

Thought the automaton had great speed, Doc swings his right fist and breaks the Automaton’s blade.

And while the Automaton is still up in the air, Doc grabs the Automaton’s body and crushes it to the ground, leaving its body into pieces.

[Dr. Hyde] “Thank you Young Lady.”

[Percival] “No worries. Oh, and just call me Percival.”

[Dr. Hyde] “If you allow me, then I shall, Lady Percival.”

[Percival] “Hehe, he called Lady. Hey, hey James, I was called Lady.”

[James] “Yes, yes, good for you Percy.”

Since she drew her head closer to me, I pat her head while she makes a goofy smile towards me.

I know she’s happy about being treated like a proper adult, but I don’t think now is the time for this.

[Lancelot] “Heads up!”

With Lancelot’s call, the enemy, who is obviously different from the other Automatons, leaps towards Doc and from the enemy’s forearm, a blade sticks out for its side and swings vertically, aiming for Doc’s neck.

But before the blade even touch Doc’s neck, I quickly took out Nanashi and deflect the attack upwards.

And with the enemy close to me, I noticed something else about her.

At first, when she was standing in front of us, she showing an emotionless face, but now…

Now her eyes are sharp, almost as sharp as mine, and with a grin just as sharp. And that’s not all; within her smile are white jagged teeth.

Seeing as I blocked her attack, she looks at me with her sharp, golden-brown eyes and said…

[???] “Please do not get in my way; it would be very troubling for me if you keep doing that.”

Wow, how polite. But that almost V-like grin is still there though.

After saying that, she jumps a few feet away from us and then shows the Emotionless face we first saw.

[???] “So if it is not too much to ask, can you please stay away from him so that I can properly end his life?”

Still polite, but…

[James] “You should already know that I’m not going to let you.”

Hearing my answer, she made a small sigh with her emotionless face slightly change into a sad one.

[???] “I guess I don’t have a choice…”

She then benders her body down close to the ground like a spider and changes her face to a grin once again, readying herself to make a dash towards me and Doc.

And with her left arm’s scythe like blade popping out, she take out another from her right forearm.

[???] “I will have both of you die here, sorry for the inconvenience.”

[James] “Oh no please, feel free to try.”

[???] “Nnnn~ meanie.”

[James] “Ah…”

For a slight second, her face turned back to the emotionless look with a bit of sadness mix to it, but her sharp look return.

Did I upset her?

Using both her left hand and right leg, she pulls herself and kicks the ground, dashing toward me like a spear.

[James] “Lancelot, Percy, get Doc out of here. He’s the one they are after, if he stays here—”

[Lancelot] “On it, Sorry Doctor, but we need to get you out of here.”

[Dr. Hyde] “Right, there should be an empty space around here; we can lead the other Automatons there.”

With the Lancelot and Percy following Doc, 14 or 15 Automatons follow.

[???] “Are you really not going to step aside?”

[James] “Aw~ come on, we just met. Can’t we just spend more time together?”

[???] “Nnnn~ Meanie.”

Saying those words once again, she leaps to me with both blades, ready to pierce me, on her hands.

I then took out Hiltraud from its holster.

[James] “Shift, Revolver!”

From a normal AMT Hardballer pistol, to a Colt Python 6-Round Revolver.

I then shot the blades aiming towards me, and from the revolver’s powerful impact, her attack goes to the left, completely missing me.

But just when she is about to fall to the ground, she retracts her blades in her arms and did a front hand flip.

Careful, you’re only wearing something similar to a patient dress.

And just as soon as she turns towards me, I already dash to her and slash Nanashi downwards, aiming at the middle of her head.

But she quickly takes out both of her Blades again and blocks my attack.

[James] “Hee~ you got pretty fast reflexes, but you should refrain from doing flips, you’re wearing a dress after—whoa!?”

Scratch that, it is a patient dress, the one they use for operations; I can clearly see her butt.

I’m honestly amused with her reflexes and feeling awkward at the same time.

[???] “Nnnnn~ you really are a Meanie.”

Ah~ she’s blushing…wait, blushing?

With both her hands blocking Nanashi, she won’t be able to attack me…or at least that is what I thought.

Since she’s wearing that kind of dress, not only is her…uhh…her butt is exposed, both of her legs as well.

And from her thighs, 2 scythe like blade pops out from both. Now she has 4 spider-like legs popping out, and pierces at me.

With my right hand holding on to Nanashi and busy with stopping the blade in her arms, I use Hiltraud and shoot the tips, each of the upcoming blades.

I then crouch down, making Nanashi in my hands slid down, I then quickly lift the grinning woman from her stomach and throw her to my side.

But before she even hits the ground, I use my shoulder to ram her stomach.

[???] “Guhaa!?”

Yup, this should knock her out.

After all, she isn’t an Automaton. But honestly though, I first thought that she was some sort of upgraded Automaton, like the ones they used to replace the higher ups, but no matter how upgraded they are, blushing and reacting all bashful is out of the question.

The bashful part of her reaction changes quickly though.

Now then, where did they go again?

I can’t really leave the girl there alone, so the girl I just fought is now on my left shoulder.

At first I was a bit worried about where I can find Lancelot and the others, but now, all I have to do is follow the bread crumbs trail.

Or in this case, just follow the multiple Automaton corps.

[James] (Wow, they beat a lot of them.)

[Nanashi] (This number is nothing if we done it…faster too.)

[Hiltraud] (Nanashi…)

[Nanashi] (…………Sorry.)

Well, I’m not really worried about them if this is the enemies they have to face.

With two high ranking Knights and a Doctor with the strength that can lift a van, as if it’s completely made out of Styrofoam.

As I continue to follow the trail, I find Percy finishing off an Automaton with her Tonfas.

She just made an uppercut and uses her Tonfa’s gun-like function.

That Automaton is lucky to be made out of Gears and Springs, its head blew up like a Party-Popper.

That’s pretty brutal…

[Percival] “Ah, Mori! So you’re done?”

And then she shows me this innocent smile…there is something wrong with this picture.

But I’ll just let it pass.

[James] “Yeah, but she isn’t an Automaton, so…”

[Percival] “I thought all of them were.”

[James] “I thought so too. Anyway, where’re Lancelot and Doc?”

[Percival] “They’re at the back; Doctor and Vistela are taking care of the wounded.”

With Percy pointing where they are, I walk on in along with Percy beside me.

Looking around, there are only a few people injured, numbering about 4 or 5 people.

Now I know why Percy is outside, she is the only one who has no medical knowledge.

Just a few steps ahead, I found Doc patching up an old man and since he is very knowledgeable about alchemy, I walk towards him.

[James] “Hey Doc, I have someone you need to check up on.”

[Dr. Hyde] “Hmm? Oh James, you’re back…and who is this?”

[James] “It’s the enemy, I just knocked her out.”

[Dr. Hyde] “Ah~ so it is her, never would have thought I would meet her like this.”

As I put the unconscious girl to the ground covered in an old looking cloth, I turn around and ask Doc…

[James] “Huh, wait a minute; you knew who this person is?”

Finishing my question, Doc finish up patching the old man and then fixes his glasses and scratches his chin as he looks at me.

[Dr. Hyde] “Actually, this young lady over here is a special very Homunculus I made to protect my clone, just in case my clone is found and in danger.”

[James] “So this woman is like bodyguard?”

[Dr. Hyde] “That is correct.”

Hmm~ must be great to be an alchemist. Making amazing this like Automatons and Homunculus—wait a minute.

[James] “If you’re the one who made her, then why is she attacking you?”

[Dr. Hyde] “Well…about that…Do you remember my story about fearing my own death?”

Well of course I do, it made me cr—I mean, it made my eyes really sweaty.

But what’s that got to do with this lady attacking her own creator? No wait a minute…if he thought he was going to die, then that would mean he gave all of this Homunculus’ authority to the clone Hyde…

[James] “Now I get it.”

[Percival] “So they think of him as their one and only master…”

Just what you’d expect from someone who gathers information as an occupation, she formed all the pieces of info perfectly.

She rarely shows this side of her though.

[Dr. Hyde] “I actually wanted to remove this young lady’s authority years ago.”

[James] “Then why didn’t’ you?”

[Dr. Hyde] “As the years passed by, my life has gotten busier and busier; I never got the chance to go back.”

Well, he is a Doctor and I heard really good Doctors tend to be very busy, to the point they themselves get sick.

[Lancelot] “James, you’re already back?”

[James] “Yeah, thanks for the hard work.”

[Lancelot] “No worries. Anyway, why is she here?”

[Dr. Hyde] Yes, about that Lady Lancelot…”

And just like Percy, Lancelot understood Hyde’s explanation almost as fast.

[Lancelot] “But you can change her authority now, right Doctor?”

[Percival] “True, it’s better to have someone who knows about the enemy.”

[Dr. Hyde] “Alright then, let’s do it while she is still unconscious. James, can you go get me some Mercury, they should be in my Clinic, on the top shelf of the medicine closet, you should find some there, if my clinic is still intact.”

[James] “Sure thing…”

I’m no Alchemist, so I honestly have no idea what Doc is going to do, but since he is an expert, I didn’t question any further and just did what told me to do.

It didn’t take me too much time to get to Doc’s clinic, and fortunately for him, the clinic is still intact.

Now let’s see, he said it should be on the top shelf…ah, found it.

There’s only one bottle on this shelf, so it’s got to be the one…right?

Since the bottle has a really dark color to it, I wasn’t sure if this is the one Doc is talking about.

If it’s only Mercury, it should be OK to open it.

And with that, I turn the cap open and peek inside.

Hmm? This smell, it’s making me want to…

[James] “*ACHOO!*

Making me want to sneeze…

But even though, I still got a glimpse of the inside and surely enough, it’s contained with mercury.

Now to bring it back to Doc.

Looking at my time on my new Phone, with a non-blinding light on the screen, the time 11:34 p.m. could be seen.

A few hours ago, as soon as I hand over the small bottle filled with mercury to Lancelot, she told me to step out of the curtain so that she and Doc can start to overwrite the clone’s command.

I wanted to stay but Lancelot said that they have to strip the Homunculus lady naked, so Lancelot wanted me out.

And since I can’t stay there and keep watch at a butt-naked woman, I did what Lancelot says and headed towards Percy who was busy playing with the children.

They finish overwriting the homunculus in about 4 hours, which surprised me that it actually takes that long.

And with the Doc’s kindness, Lancelot, Percy and I decided to stay in Doc’s clinic at the second floor.

There are 3 rooms on the second floor, Lancelot and Percy decided to stay together while Doc stays in his own room.

As for the Homunculus who is still unconscious, she is staying at the patient bed on the 1st floor.

I on the other hand, am staying alone in one room, not that it bothers me of course.

Anyway, back when Doc was finish overwriting the Homunculus, He told us that he will lead us to a location where his clone might be hiding.

Well, since we might be heading out early, I better get to sleep.

Readying myself to go to sleep, I help on to both Hiltraud and Nanashi next to me.

[James] (Night Hiltraud, Night Nanashi.)

[Hiltraud] (Good Night James)

[Nanashi] (May your sleep be a good one, Aruji-sama.)

Switching of my phone and placing it next to Hiltraud on a stool close to the bed, I then slowly close my eyes and relax my body while facing the other way.

*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*

Hmm? I hear footsteps…

They’re pretty light, considering the weight, a woman?

D—don’t tell me it’s Lancelot!

Could it be that she wants to stay here with me? Is she planning for us to have that moment again!?

But this place has very thin walls, even thinner than Mr. Eustace’s house! They could easily hear our voice if we do it!

Especially Percy, she will definitely hear our voices since she’s just next door to me!

*Creeeeek*

The door, the door is opening!

No way, is Lancelot seriously going to do it!? She’s a lot braver than I am, even I can’t do something like this!

*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*

She’s here! She’s right next to the bed!!!

Wh—what should I do!? Should I tell her to stop? No wait, I might hurt her womanly pride. After all, she’s from a very prestigious family.

But still, this is a bit……Huh?

[James] “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!?”

She actually went inside my blanket!

Lancelot is actually going for it; she’s ready to have the Adult Nighttime Wrestling with yours truly!

[James] “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!?”

And now she’s wrapping her arm around my stomach! She’s even caressing her hand around my stomach too!

This is bad, I tend to sleep topless, so this situation is very bad for me!

[James] “Whoooooooooooooooaaaaaa……?”

No way, this feeling in my back…

This feeling as if I’m being poked my something very small, soft and yet slightly stiff.

Co—could it be that she is pressing her chest on my back!? She was naked this whole time!?

Lancelot, your bravery knows no bounds!

And my little Friend is reaching new heights!

[James] “Whooooooooooaaa…”

No wait, stop moving around! Your little cherries are rubbing on to me! My self-control is going haywire!

But still as a man, I can’t just leave her hanging…

I mean, I also like her, so I guess its fine…

[James] “…………………………………Hmm?”

Wait a minute; her chest…isn’t it a bit bigger?

Does a woman’s chest grow slightly bigger at night? Women can do that?

Oh well, that doesn’t matter right now.

What matters now is, if I want to have Lancelot or not, if I expect her or not…

And of course my answer to that is…

Deciding on what to do, I forcefully pinned Lancelot down and…

[James] “Lancelot are you sur—eh?”

[???] “You are quite rough, meanie.”

And again………………………Eh?