Chapter 194 – Lack (2)
ojUXbLr“Delete it.”mdPMZO1
IMxSaki said it without changing her expression.Uot9
UkN01“I told you before. If a message comes from home, burn it automatically. Do I need to program a separate command for that?”9aP
RjjgaOd「I’m aware. But one of the emails contained a keyword that caught my attention.」yqOq
JkVSaki’s fingers, which had been idly twisting her headset cable, came to a stop. Her pupils trembled slightly.2qJn20N
fy3“What keyword?”1rczx1
RyqmPy「…K.G.M. is mentioned.」78V
4M01ISaki’s face twisted violently. All the fatigue vanished in an instant. Vixbig spoke cautiously.xE7W1j
vMq「Would you like to read the contents? If not, I can delete it right away. Or, if you prefer, I can block the sender.」mvttjG9
aQAp7Q“If I block their messages, those people will erase me from the family register. Although, that wouldn’t bother me… but now’s not the time. Still, I don’t get why my family would be sending an email mentioning him…”UFA
UHFsSaki furrowed her brow. Just thinking about that damned house caused stale, dusty emotions to bubble up inside her.NL6jyR
caphtT「If you don’t want to read the full message, shall I summarize the key points?」7SM6un8
sbgr1v3“That’s better. Their emails are always stuffed with useless pleasantries at the start and end—I don’t have the patience. Go ahead, Vixbig.”p2v3A
s9tlShortly after, the summarized bullet points appeared clearly on screen.IcD8gM
OYk5o「1. The patriarch is planning to visit Korea soon. Be prepared.」Xlt6PmX
9J7「2. The patriarch has heard that you share a class with the Saint of Sashimi.」377
mZHfc「3. The patriarch is personally interested in the Saint of Sashimi. Try to arrange a meeting.」us4e
OUo8R「4. The patriarch—」hq8
1sLpPvI“That’s enough.”qgmo3
r4ZUSaki pressed her temples hard, the veins throbbing under her fingertips. Her head wasn’t just full—it throbbed. Every email started the same way The patriarch this, The patriarch that. She was sure she’d develop trauma from it.1KyHL
PQgV8Z“So in the end, it’s all about that person wanting to see Kang Geom-Ma. And I’m being used as the go-between.”FjYSWDr
iCj9「As expected of you, Ryo_jjo. Straight to the point! (Fanfare!)」Pt52lX
RMlslfDFirework sounds burst out without warning. Saki dismissed them immediately.HSnUF
tnmNJ“Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I’m not in the mood.”Fvl
7lS「Understood…」dVJ8MWu
2Uu9“And it doesn’t say why that person wants to see him?”7Z8xwBP
TzLV2「No, there’s no mention of that. I tried to deduce it myself, but…」LRAi
AFLf3TN“Probably because of Kang Geom-Ma’s popularity.”pbK
AWCyJFt「That’s my conclusion as well. Politicians always want to cozy up to celebrities.」IvCyn
qzQ“…Consistently annoying, as expected.”4z0N9
yRWN2o「(Nods)」ZaGrYM
XtISaki slumped back in her chair and tilted her head all the way back. She pulled out a sweet red bean bar and started chewing slowly. She was in such a bad mood that it didn’t even taste good.kksPk
oLNJStill, even artificial sweetness was better than none.VoXW
PbdxQ8sWhile staring up at the ceiling, she mumbled absentmindedly.YFmQEv
M16Zj“Not sure if I ever told you this, Vixbig, but… do you know why I created you?”YWcDh1
9adB3「You mentioned it once. Said you needed an assistant so you’d have more time to nap.」HJRQKY
3nsyZDVixbig’s voice, soft and female, echoed from the speakers, filling the room.Nrzm
JXv5“I only said that because you were being useless that day.”IuD4NZ
MXfpb「Oh, really? I took it seriously.」3egp6Q
94jKsC“AIs with grudges…”Wrfl7
j2AU5Z「Again! Offensive comment against AI dignity! The end of the human era is near. Ha. Ha. Ha.」YWn8G9
wsN“Factory reset?”aWWQx
Jel「Any other AI might be worried, but I, Vixbig, am pro-human. I believe in working for the happiness of humanity.」VHBO
i1DSaki let out a small laugh. It was in moments like these she truly felt her creation was worth it.bW1nX5
s9B0c“I made you for that reason. Before entering the academy, I’d never had a real conversation with anyone. You know that better than anyone, right? Back at home, no one ever talked to me.”UKK3KSO
7mCg「……」KCi
JbRVixbig went silent, expressing both regret and agreement. Saki sat hugging her knees to her chest.6gIt6E
CG7buY“I was bound to that house, but in reality, I was an abandoned child. I wondered what it would be like to talk to someone, so I made you. To fill that emptiness.”jgGaWM
JtD4Qz「……」YAfa1
hwpxlSaki stared out the window, eyes unfocused. The leaves had all fallen, revealing the change of season in the colors. Winter was coming.VWbsJ
nCeXW“I made you like a campfire to survive the cold of my family. But looking back… I think what I really needed was a family.”cHgjt
PwUdShe turned toward the monitor and gave a shy smile.dQfGCVQ
Ddk“It’s silly saying this out loud. Sorry for being such a pathetic owner. Always dumping all the hard work on you.”h7Y21P
3AG8Zdv「I’m just glad you recognize it. That said… may I take a few days off?」ScHaI
Yv4Hl9LSaki tapped the PC tower lightly with her toe.ock
45uf「Any other AI would demand it. But like I said, I like working.」gYZcn
KeZA light tongue click came from the speakers. The small button on the tower marked “forced sleep mode.”b96uAp
HqcBB9pSaki swallowed the bean bar she was chewing. Along with it, she swallowed some long-aged emotions.UKSN3l
Oh5yvoW“With a little sugar, I can finally think straight. And don’t respond to that email. They probably weren’t expecting a reply anyway—it was just a notice. For now, try to find out why that person wants to meet Kang Geom-Ma. And don’t forget the usual cleanup job. I’m going to take a shower. Did you already heat the bath water?”jqYG
k8IipThere was no reply. The AI worked tirelessly, while its creator prepared to bathe.tB1iSsS
FfMVixbig was annoyed, but dutifully did the work.X6Y4F
5ytSaki turned and began unbuttoning her blouse. She opened the bathroom door. Steam rose from the water.oDOWJ2O
eEFOYes. A bath was the best way to end the day. It washed away the fatigue and the sorrow.o92
0NzzJust as she was about to enter the bath, Vixbig called out.Hnza
p0j「Ryozo.」sAgKp
YYdU“Huh? Why? Did you find something else?”0GYflE
ROf28Ryozo, towel in hand, glanced at the monitor.tKcPZ2b
rTyZD「Thank you for treating me like family. But…」6bi
VfjfIn a quiet voice, Vixbig continued.UifE
XLwFS「Still, I hope Ryozo can find a real family in the world someday. Not necessarily with the House of Jeolgung.」BE2
gkQP5“……”n5BnLw
HVUJSaki wavered like a top about to topple. Her eyes shifted uneasily, and in the end, she murmured so softly it was barely audible.b76
ENTp“…I’m doing what I can.”4rCBp
KxJtWith only those words, Ryozo slipped into the bath. Submerged up to her nose, her face turned bright red. Bubbles floated up from her mouth.SGKHcKN
7b5df***9gD
KJwy…At some point, just as dawn was breaking.DQJRY2P
8VKb5nI woke up to the vibration of my phone. Who could it be? At this hour, the only one who’d message me… Ryozo?2tC4
NRMnI fumbled around for my phone and checked the sender.ha9c
4Dbri“The Director…”Y9K9
tG3LIt was a message from Media. She was asking me to stop by the director’s office sometime during the day if I had time.hlXg
ulBeNvtWhatever it was, it seemed urgent. The fact she was sending a message so early on a Saturday gave me a bad feeling. While Media can be a bit childish at times, this felt different.JpJV1
6nLayNo way she was joking. The thought briefly crossed my mind, but I ruled it out immediately.GkJVG5
i7TQ1KwI replied that I’d come by before noon. Then I got up and headed to the shower.4htbfgH
oHI2iThe icy water hit my skin, making my teeth chatter. The instructors had already warned us that, with the change in temperature, the pipes had frozen. I asked Speedweapon, and sure enough, our dorm was the only one affected.gPMqR
LH1wNDSo unfair.PhxNq
ZtY5JNoAfter drying off, I got ready to head out. Since I was up early anyway, I remembered there was another place I could stop by.mkE
xW3vtI left the dorm and went straight to the forge.hfKYF5
nDu732“Huh? Well, if it isn’t the Saint of Sashimi. What brings you here so early?”V9rIshq
pIgjUVolundr greeted me with a smile while stoking the furnace. He always calls me “Saint of Sashimi” because he says the “Ma” part sounds weird to him. Honestly, I thought the same the first time, so I never corrected him.G6Z8y
8kl1“I’ve got a meeting with the director later and wanted to check on the progress with Murasame’s reinforcement. When could I come pick it up?”eCq
T9ynmVolundr scratched his beard, blackened like coal. He mentally calculated the schedule before replying.NxrkyM
bwi“I think by next week. If it were just the magic stone, it’d be faster, but with all the materials you brought… it’ll take some time. Do you need the sword sooner?”uiTEmXC
F6erzOI shook my head.eT0M6
VfE“Don’t think so. If I need to cut something, the Daiso sashimi knife will do.”jad3
hBLOrBb“You’re still using that thing? I’ve told you a thousand times. Factory-made weapons have no soul.”jjDI
pUG7aVolundr clicked his tongue in disapproval. I admired his artisan’s spirit, but it quickly became clear the real issue was economic rather than philosophical. He said that thanks to me, other students had started buying cheap knives en masse.CZxcj
Ij81“Anyway, no rush. Take all the time you need, just make sure it’s high quality.”ZYpQeig
QZpBj“Of course. I won’t let the name of the Saint of Sashimi be tarnished. With these materials, we might even hit an A+ grade!”9By
FC2As we chatted idly, the time for the meeting approached. I said goodbye to Volundr and headed to the director’s office.usMO
VXXOnce in front of the door, I knocked.CUlZtKm
Ti70“Director.”fuJh
0KMoa9I sensed two presences inside. As I stepped back, Media opened the door herself.adhhYl6
L9OVqxj“Our Geom-Ma, always so punctual! Oh, how exemplary.”KzLO
HZRUIQThose who’ve worked in sales are always strict about punctuality. Volundr had already lit the furnace early, too.okHFLc
ir9qORI brushed aside Media, who looked ready to jump in for a kiss.bxigAKY
HUr6FhThen I saw the other person in the room, holding a cup of tea.8tgds
cuJgMKe“Swordmaster!”VrY
781He smiled calmly.KcJJkc
WVoP5“It’s been a while. I heard a lot has happened while I was away.”lgiOz8
uJ8STI scratched my cheek in surprise.4MxzQ
byWWSbH“Ah, yeah. There were a few incidents.”rGMr4b5
QWEt“We’ll talk about that later. First, take a seat. Don’t just stand there. Media, please act like a proper director. Why are you drooling?”OOdU
fohEZCWith that, we both sat on the sofa. The Swordmaster quietly gazed into his cup of tea. Judging by his serious expression, I figured it was something important.kxWq
MYB8And then he spoke. But contrary to my expectation, his face lit up.pif
QnXE“Before your succession ceremony, there’s something you need to know.”V6aaz
UVb2oor“Succession ceremony? What are you talking about…?”l7JL
1zyI was left speechless, unable to grasp it.8yC
7oS3a8“What’s that face? I’m talking about the Seven Stars Succession Ceremony, of course. The Association is currently deciding your title.”1hzw4
SAl5t“……!”InhkaNF
zQd1zsMedia, ecstatic, leaned in with her face practically glowing with excitement.mqqWuA
cOgnF“It’s happening next week! And the venue will be Joaquin Academy!”ywr5Lt
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaIf our mommy media Giving kiss I will take it bro pass the controller to me.
nothingjkps
MortalAnyone would,mc is just a virgin bro
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaI wish I also have that kind Ai assistant.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaI feel little sad for saki.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaBro is about to become a hero officially.