People are free to live their lives the way they want.

　If it doesn't bother others, it should be respected.

　So the idea of me wanting to live a non-boring life in the country should be respected.

'Boring?　What about it?　Let's hear about your interesting way of life, shall we?

　Serge, facing me, lifted the corners of his mouth to form a smile.

　He's an irritant.

　Don't complain about other people's lives.

　I wouldn't be talking to you if I was harmless to you.

'I said you've got awesome power and it's boring not to use it. You and I both got superpowers, these guys got superpowers. And you're an idiot for not doing anything with it?

And then?　What the hell are you going to do?

　I've got great powers and I want to use them.

　Well, it's a very human idea.

　When I got the Luxion, I was in high spirits too.

　I didn't think it would be worth the trouble.

"I am going to hold this continent together. With a partner--I can do anything I want with Ideal.

　Serge's words intrigued me.

　After all, the Republic has no domestic cohesion.

　The simple solution to that is to rule with overwhelming force, for good or ill.

　The power to do that was in Serge's hands.

　--I've got it.

'Good for him. I'm not interested in that at all, but I'm rooting for you. Do your best to keep this country together.

　Serge's word "boring" irritated me, but if you want to run amok in the Republic, no problem.

　That's the Republic's problem.

　I don't have to complain about it.

　The misery created in the midst of armed rule is a problem for Serge and the Republic.

　Do these short-sighted idiots have any idea what will happen afterwards?

You're a real dullard, aren't you?

　I smiled at Serge, whose smile disappeared, but I smiled the opposite way.

'Let me tell you something, you little shit. What's funny or boring to you is a standard in your mind. It's just my personal opinion. You'll embarrass yourself if you talk about it like it's common knowledge.

　Common sense differs from country to country, region to region, and even group to group.

　To put it bluntly, common sense is different for each individual.

　Just like Serge who called my way of life boring, it's only natural that it's different from mine.

'You're the same age as me!

　I gave him a little agitation and he immediately responded.

　This guy must be a kid in his previous life.

　He must be younger than me.

''I called him a kid because he doesn't have enough life experience, including his past life. With a little thought, you'll understand.

　Don't make me explain it to you because you're embarrassed.

　Lelia looked uncomfortable in our crusty atmosphere.

''Let's both stop around there. Come on, we're all reincarnations of the same thing, we have to get along.

Keh!

　I didn't think I was going to get along with Serge, who turned away from me.

　That's fine too.

　I'm going back to my hometown anyway - I'm going back to the Horphath Kingdom, so I can't even take care of the Republic.

　If Serge is there, the Republic's problems can probably be solved, so I'll just go home as soon as I can.

''Instead, you guys should do something about the holy tree. It's your country.

　When I say something like 'take care of the russian boss', Lelia gives me a stern look.

''After scratching around so much, are you planning to run away by yourselves?　Help me out.

　My equivalent of Serge?　Lelia felt a little bit more bullish today because of the powerful presence of

''May. I'm busy, too. Sis--I've got things to do with Noel, too.''

　More importantly, Lelia had previously said that Serge was harmless - isn't this guy harmful to the Arzel Republic?

My sister?

Oh, actually, I'm bringing him back to the kingdom.

　I thought I'd tell these guys ahead of time.

　I'm not going to take them home without permission and have them complain about it.

　But I'm not going to tell them about the marriage.

　I don't know what's going to happen.

'Hey, we're in trouble!

'I'm in trouble too. But Noel was chosen to be the maiden of the sapling.

You're lying. Have you been chosen already?

　It had been decided that she would eventually become a sapling priestess, but Lelia was surprised that she hadn't thought of it as the current stage.

'Luxion says that the saplings themselves will grow in their own right, so you'll have to find them yourselves. I'm sure Ideal will find them.

　I looked at Ideal and saw him move his one red eye up and down in affirmation.

'As soon as you order me to do so,'

　Lelia looked at Serge as if she didn't know what to do.

　Serge didn't seem interested.

''Didn't you say Seiki was going to go off the rails?　I'm not interested because I can handle it if Ideal is there - but is that why you're taking Noel with you, the holy tree sapling?　You use her because she's a priestess?

Yes.

　The reason I answered after a slight pause was because I remembered what Angier said.

　However, I'm also wondering if I should really bring Noelle back to the kingdom.

　Because if I were to take Noel with me, I don't know if it would make her happy.

'You're an a**h*le,'

　I couldn't argue with Serge's words, which were tongue-in-cheek, so I cut off the conversation and walked away from the place.

◇

　On the way home.

　I talked to Luxion, who was floating around my right shoulder.

"How are you getting along with your friends?

　The fact that he was less talkative than usual was worrisome.

　In fact, Luxion--''

''I don't feel the need to get along with you. I'll only do it if I can cooperate.''

　My opinion of Ideal is that he's a quiet, sarcastic sphere, a quiet, sarcastic sphere.

　I feel like he has a different personality than Luxion.

I'm not going to be the only one. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of the newcomers.

　It's very different from our Luxion, who immediately tries to destroy the newcomers.

''Just like me and Clairvoyant, there must be a difference in thinking due to our different jurisdictions.

Jurisdiction?

'Yes, sir. I am a multi-functional, high-performance immigrant ship. I am also a battleship, but I am an immigrant ship. Creare took charge of the lab.

　Indeed, there is a difference between Luxion and Creare.

　Creare has a looser feel to it.

What about the Ideal?

It was an army supply ship.

Military?　Huh?　You're not a warship?　There's a lot of armaments and stuff, right?

'It's a little different. It will take more than ten hours for the master to understand. Would you still like to hear it?

　You're talking about an old human organizational system that doesn't seem to make sense to know--

'I've lost interest. I'm assuming you're aware of a different affiliation or something, right?

"Yes, sir.

It's like you people can't get along in different jurisdictions.

　When I smiled at him, Luxion was in a different mood than usual.

　He doesn't hate me.

''What's wrong?''　You're quiet today.

''No, I was just hesitant to tell you because of the uncertain information. More importantly, weren't you competing with those five people for life power?''

'Oops, that's right. It's summer vacation, so I might as well get a part-time job.

'It's a matter of how much money you make.　Can you win with a part-time job?'

'There's no way those guys are going to work. They're going to have a better chance of winning if they take it slow and steady.

　On the way, I check a flyer with a job opening on it.

　It was a job offer for a part-time job in a restaurant.

It's close to where I live. It sounds like a good deal, too.

　On my way home, I stopped in and met an unexpected person there.

◇

　At the shop where he was interviewed for a part-time job, Noel's - Noel's dog, Noel's former owner - was there.

　Jean is surprised.

'Why would the Count-sama do a part-time job?

　I ask Jean, who looks very strange, back.

'You're the one who's here, why are you here?　You know, tuition and living expenses aren't a problem.

　Jean, a student at the school, was hospitalized after being assaulted by Pierre.

　Because of this, he was determined to stay in school due to lack of attendance and was considering dropping out due to tuition problems.

　I wound up from Pierre - it was different. I received compensation, so I have a history of supporting tuition and living expenses from there.

　Now he's working part-time and studying.

　While embarrassed.

Um, well, I'm not comfortable doing nothing.

　He plans to return to school next year, so he has time now.

　--he was a struggling student, so he can't seem to get comfortable doing nothing but studying.

'For me, it's social studies -- and then I've decided to work to show my life skills.

What, life force?

　I'm going to be working part-time with Jean, who is in trouble.

'There's a lot going on over here too. By the way, it's a pretty busy place.'

　The store was crowded with people who were just looking for part-time work.

''What's more, his wife can't work anymore,''

Eh!

'Oh, no - she just had a baby. I've heard that he has decided to take on more part-time work as he's getting busier and busier.

　I thought it was a sad story, but it was a congratulations.

'I see. That's good to hear.

　As I'm doing my chores, I hear the owner's hurried voice from the kitchen.

'Hey, Leon!　Now get your plate over there!

　The proprietor doesn't know that I'm an earl, or rather a foreign nobleman.

　That's why Jean turned blue and

I'll do it for you.

　Jean, who knows I'm a foreign aristocrat, wants to change jobs.

'No,' he said, 'you have to learn the job quickly. I need you to learn your job quickly. Jean, you're going to do your job.

　I say with a smile to the flustered Jean.

'Don't worry about it. I told you - it's a social study. I'm not going to say a lot of things from my position.'

　In the first place, they wouldn't hire me if they knew I was a nobleman.

　I would take my plate and carry it to the table.

　More importantly, there were a lot of customers in the restaurant - it was busy.

　The restaurant was quite large, and there was clearly not enough staff.

　The owner of the store is also concerned about that.

'It's good that business is thriving, but you've been busy lately. It would be perfect if we could get a signboard girl for this.

　He doesn't like it with two bastards.

　A girl who is a signboard girl, huh--

◇

　At the Raults' mansion, Serge was talking with Ideal.

　Serge, holding his glass, remembered the look on Leon's face.

　He was angry at the mocking look on Leon's face when he called him a little shit.

'You're a disgusting bastard,'

　The same incarnation.

　But the idea was completely different.

　To Serge, who wanted to actively use his power, the passive Leon looked foolish.

'Calling someone a little shitty kid. How much of an old man is he? Are you an old man over sixty on the inside?'

　As I gulped down the glass in my hand, the liquor made my throat hot.

　And I could feel it in my stomach.

'Drinking too much isn't good for you,'

'Ha!　I'm an adult inside of me now. Let me have a drink or two at least.

Your body is in a growth phase. Excessive intake is not good for you.

　I ignore the May Ideal's petulant comments and drink my drink.

'It's bad enough that the drink you've prepared is good. It's easy to drink, by the way. It feels good to be drunk. --I don't feel so good right now.

I'm glad to hear that. But you still shouldn't drink too much.

　Originally Serge wanted to feel good about drinking, but now he was irritated.

'That bastard treated Noel like a thing. He's one hell of a bastard.''

　Serge met Noelle at the school.

　She was a savvy-looking girl, not my favorite, but I liked her.

'If he was just a bastard, I'd turn him away in a heartbeat. I think you're being too cautious.　He's the one who says he's nonchalant in the country.

So, do you want to fight right now?

-No, the guy himself is probably strong. I don't know how strong, though.

　He is a reincarnation with the same cheat.

　Even if they were to fight, they lacked information.

　Serge was also hesitant.

　Besides - I knew I wasn't going to get along with Leon.

'Ideal, can you deal with those guys?

What do you mean, "somehow"?

I mean, can you beat it?

'I can't judge at present. I've only recently become fully operational. However, they have at least a few years of advantage over there.

　I want to punish him somehow.

　Serge, who wants to give them a blow, is pouring a glass of liquor - and he's pouring it into a glass.

'Just--they could be dangerous.

Huh?

　He turned his gaze from the drink to Ideal.

'You don't know what he really thinks,' he said. He did say that - he wants to live in the countryside in peace and quiet. But he's an earl of the kingdom. Lelia's daughter also said that he has risen quite a bit in one generation.''

'Was he the third son of an impoverished aristocrat?　That's certainly too good to be true, Count.

　Serge, drinking a glass full of liquor, thinks about Leon.

(It is indeed strange. If you want to live in the countryside, there's no need for you to get ahead. Could it be that they were trying to trick me?　(What's the point?)

　Ideal tells us.

"The Favell case is a masterstroke. 'The Favell family was well prepared, and afterwards, they obtained a large amount of treasure and a huge settlement from the Republic. --Master, he's in danger.

　Serge drank down his drink.

With your kind by your side, though, that much should be easy.

I don't belong to him. He's an immigrant ship-- a unique position.

What do you mean?

"If you can't help but feel that it's no use to be ambitious.

　Serge couldn't understand.

'What would you want from an artificial intelligence?'

...and the destruction of the newcomers.

　Serge sat up.

　He dropped his glass and rolled to the floor - and then - he dropped his glass.

'Are you serious?'

'It's possible. I'm not a military man. A man named Rion, who is working with such a dangerous artificial intelligence... might be dangerous.

　As Serge pondered, Ideal's red eyes glowed suspiciously.