Requiem of the Villainess

Chapter Three: Invitation to Dinner

Chapter Three: Invitation to Dinner

Here at Azoth Robotics, we pride ourselves on our ever-growing commitment to technology and making use of it for the betterment of humanity. We believe that the future of the human race lies within technology, and only through a perfect symbiosis between man and machine can we truly be complete and perfect. Our reliance on technology will drive the evolution of our species, and our goal is that one day, we will become indistinguishable from it.

With that goal in mind, we are introducing volunteer trials for our latest and greatest piece of equipment, a neural interface device known as the Hazama, or Threshold. With the Hazama, human beings may break the threshold of our reality and enter a brand new one of our own choosing, a simulation so intimate and deep that no other piece of virtual reality technology can compare. One may even forget that they are within a simulated realm to begin with.

While we have not yet released the Hazama to the general public, we hope to see positive results during the trials with our current test subjects, so that we may proceed with our research and reach the next stage of our development.

-An Azoth Robotics report on their latest virtual reality device, the Hazama

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Ryuji and I ventured to the far outskirts of the wilderness, as I followed the path set by a map we had picked up from a local traveling shopkeeper. "Hmm...we should be getting close pretty soon," I mumbled to myself as smoothed out the wrinkles in the paper.

"Umm...where exactly are we heading to, Lady Lillian?" Ryuji piped up.

"We are looking for the home of a nobleman named Count Isaac Rainworth," I replied. "He's an old friend of my father, I've known him since I was young. The meager supplies in my rucksack won't be nearly enough to raise up a worthy army. We'll need weapons, horses, and supplies, and all of those things cost money. Count Rainworth can retrieve my assets and bring back what belongs to me. I haven't seen him in many years...I wonder what he's been up to lately. He was always a rather reclusive fellow. Hence why his home is so far off the beaten path."

"So uh...what do you need an army for?" Ryuji asked. "You're a noble, shouldn't you have anything you want at your disposal?"

"Do you think I'd have been dining at some seedy tavern if that were the case?" I retorted. "Long story short, I was banished from the royal court, and my position was stolen from me. I recruited you, and I plan to recruit even more capable fellows like yourself, because I plan on returning to the royal palace and taking back what is rightfully mine."

Ryuji's pointed ears drooped slightly. He looked worried. "Sorry, I had no idea things were so...complicated over there."

The two of us finally reached our destination, approaching the front porch of an enormous manor that was covered with chipping yellow paint. It surely looked like it had seen better days, and was in desperate need of a paint job.

I had never been to Count Rainworth's residence before, but from this appearance, I wondered if the mansion was abandoned. Left to the elements for years, it seemed like no human had maintained the property in a long time.

Like Count Claude Fleur, many nobles were odd and eccentric individuals, and Count Rainworth was no exception. Several chose not to live within the walls of the royal palace because of the constant bickering and political discord that took place there on a daily basis. Unlike Count Fleur, Rainworth had never been disowned or banished by the nobility. He was merely reclusive, choosing to live close to nature and leading a solitary existence. He didn't even have a wife or children, as far as I knew.