Any normal noble receives advanced learning.
If you defined the advanced learning of the Baron Marcus family's young lady, Shurin Marcus, in two word, it would be 'romance fantasy.'
'Those were the good days...'
She was the most beautiful woman in the world, and men craving her love were always around.
Cold men, wise men, brave men, kind men, flippant men, cautious men, healthy men...
Looks and ability were basics.
But her body was only one, so she couldn't accept all the men's love. Even romance that forced spiritual love only on healthy males had limits.
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"So who did you choose, miss?"
At Teresa's question, Shurin hesitated briefly before answering.
"I chose the strongest man. Because I feared the obsession and revenge of the men not chosen."
"You made a rational judgment."
"Did I really?"
Years later, the princes who'd loved her became kings of their countries. And they started wars to seize her, now a married woman!
The war didn't end quickly. The man she chose was a powerful emperor ruling half the world. Even now she wasn't certain if that was the right choice.
"Miss. You were staying quite far from school."
"...Because the scenery here is nice."
Shurin enrolled in a famous school in another country by her father's order. But the family's support was woefully insufficient, so she couldn't use the school dormitory.
As a result, a shabby rooftop room on the city outskirts became her lodging.
"The room's messy."
"J-just wait a moment! I'll clean it right away!"
"Please sit and rest, miss. Cleaning is an automaton's job."
"That's true, but..."
Teresa wasn't an ordinary automaton.
Unique.
Not a level where a baron's daughter, of which there were more than stars in the night sky, could 'dare' order around.
Even the Unique serving the princess, highest status among students, is level 23. But this Unique who started cleaning while humming...
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Teresa wiped the dust piled black on the windowsill and said.
"Miss. May I open the window to air things out?"
"Yes. From now on, please freely open windows without asking my opinion or anything."
"Please speak comfortably."
"That absolutely cannot happen."
People around her mock her. Saying a baron's daughter is acting out without knowing her place.
Shurin sitting on the bed didn't feel like she was resting even while resting. Like she'd dumped work on a superior. Her shoulders were very stiff, clenched with burden and tension.
'My mind's confused...'
The moment Shurin heard news that the family head changed, she thought about withdrawing from school before her family's safety.
The situation showed no sign of improving because of commoners desperate for scholarships, and her meager pride was mercilessly torn as the label of poor noble attached.
'Couldn't continue anymore, but what choice was there...'
She came back without mentioning wanting to withdraw to the head. Her heart swelled at support beyond imagination, so she could only pledge to work harder.
"...Teresa."
"Yes, miss."
"What kind of person is the lord?"
Ronan Marcus.
The indomitable boy who alone protected the family and estate everyone abandoned.
Shurin didn't believe it at first either. Until she directly saw the younger brother sitting in the seat of their father who'd only thought about marrying his daughter into a prestigious family.
"Master is a very brave person."
"I see."
Not helpful.
"I envy you for being born as master's older sister, miss."
"...Thank you."
This was slightly helpful.
***
I decided to use the marriage proposal from the Count Benator family. Seems like an event made to be used.
"Elise. Reply that I can't give my sister to a man weaker than me."
"So you mean you'll absolutely never approve this marriage over your dead body, young master."
"Hey! That's not it. I mean beat me and take her."
Same meaning but different nuance. Phrasing that assumes defeat makes the other party uncomfortable. Life skills learned at work while getting wrung dry to the soul.
Elise, who half-opened her eyes, looked at my face and said.
"A provocation."
"Just refusing would be boring, right?"
"The family and estate will never have a quiet day. I'll convey it as is."
Elise's gaze turned to the ceiling.
"Elise. What are you looking at?"
"I'm replying to the Count Benator family."
"Fast."
Wireless communication with no need to wait made me comfortable.
"Conveyed."
"Good work."
"There's a very high probability Count Benator will respond to the provocation. If you die during the confrontation, the ruins go to the Count Benator family. And they can secure the Unique through the married young lady."
"Lots of benefits."
Could clearly see why the Count Benator family was pushing the marriage.
"...Young master. A reply came."
"Already? What's it say?"
"Content saying to meet in two days at a public arena anyone can watch."
"Two days? Tell them let's fight right now."
"This is a notification, not a proposal."
"Ha! Deciding time and place arbitrarily without consultation."
"You put conditions on the marriage arbitrarily without consultation, young master."
"I see."
We each gave one blow.
'Two days?'
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I want to raise my level more. Because Count Benator's confident attitude bothers me. Can't act like that without confidence in winning.
"Elise."
"Yes. Who should we pick a fight with next?"
"Forget picking fights. I want to raise my level. Find me suitable opponents."
Opponents with lower levels than me give less experience. Need many with higher or similar levels.
"You're the strongest in the estate, young master. And let me say out of concern, convenient hunting grounds where appropriate levels gather don't exist in reality."
"Darn."
An overly realistic game made me uncomfortable.
"Young master. You can't look down on similar levels. If levels are the same, skills are the same. It's not that others don't know how to raise levels so they're sitting still."
"What about the ruins?"
"Are you listening to my nagging?"
"You're aware you're nagging? Elise. The ruins should have quite a few strong enemies, right?"
"I don't know. No exploration has been done at all."
"Perfect."
Ruins no one touched. Means all treasure and prey are sitting obediently.
"You're not a grave robber, young master. You're a great noble ruling an estate. There's no reason to enter dangerous places on your own feet."
"It's not dangerous."
It's the beginner dungeon closest to the starting point.
"How can you be certain of that?"
"Common sense."
RPG basics.
"Seems pointless to stop you. Then at least take Teresa."
"Teresa should stay by my sister's side."
Relying on powerful allies prevents my skills from growing. My sister who'll get married anyway is fine if her skills don't grow though.
"If something happens to you, the Marcus family ends."
"It ends even if I stay still."
Because villains targeting my ruins and Unique will endlessly charge in. Count Benator is just the start.
Elise exhaled deeply and presented a new compromise.
"Please meet a woman before entering the ruins."
"My sister?"
"Anyone's fine. As long as you can make a Marcus family heir. You can do that much, right?"
"You're speaking like it's nothing while saying something outrageous."
"Because it really is nothing. Won't take a day. Just tell me your preference, young master. I'll find and prepare a suitable woman in the estate."
"Persistent."
"This is a noble's duty."
"That duty doesn't apply at my age either."
"...How did you know that? This is troublesome."
"I'm troubled too, you know?"
Troublesome if this game's genre changes to romance fantasy. I aim for fantasy that fights outside the bed.
Elise, who stopped nagging, turned her gaze outside the window.
"Young master. When do you plan to explore the ruins?"
"Right now."
"...Preparations are complete."
"I just said it though?"
"Automatons share information in real-time through a network. That's why task processing is fast and efficient. They're gathered in the square."
I glanced outside my office window.
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Beautiful girls in explorer-like outfits were waiting in the clearing that had been empty moments ago.
Not a single human. All automatons.
"Should we depart immediately?"
"Good. How long from here to the ruins?"
"Less than 1 second."
"I really like that."
Fast travel!
Made me reconsider this game that was uncomfortable for being too realistic.
"Young master. Please relax while imagining entrusting your body to me."
"Why?"
"Because we need to warp. It fails if the shield interferes."
"You should've said that first."
By the time I protested to Elise, we'd already moved.
***
I thought it was a game where middle schoolers rampage on a fantasy continent. But the worldview's scale far exceeded my expectations.
Humanity that transcended light speed through warp established numerous colonies and nations across the universe.
'Is this right? The estate is a planet.'
This game's protagonist, Ronan Marcus, is a baron who wholly owns a planet that looks like Earth.
From here on is my discretion, having possessed the protagonist. To raise my rank, I need to occupy more planets or subjugate other lords.
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"Elise. Why did my shield get scratched?"
Not just me. All automatons who warped had their shields slightly shaved.
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"It's warp recoil. The farther the destination, the more damage the shield takes."
"Does the shield have to exist?"
"Without it or if insufficient, you can't maintain form."
"Darn."
"You can go anywhere through automatons using warp. But you can't use it during combat or in prohibited areas."
I didn't ask about reasons for not using warp or scientific principles. Just settings that make games difficult and annoying.
'Can't escape during combat. Understanding complete.'
Having perfectly understood warp, I looked around. Sand everywhere. Not even a single common weed visible.
We stood in the middle of a golden desert.
"I don't see the ruins?"
"Please wait a moment. Won't take long."
Elise, who'd rolled up her sleeves, summoned a huge shovel.
"No way..."
"The ruins are below this."
"Ah..."
Not just her. All automatons started shoveling skillfully like seasoned construction workers. Work speed was so fast excavators weren't needed.
'Is this right?'
I'd heard they hadn't developed the ruins yet, but didn't know they were buried underground like fossils.
"Young master!"
Elise, who suddenly threw down her shovel, rushed to me urgently.
"Already done?"
"Yes. We found the entrance. But there are traces of someone digging a tunnel to enter inside the ruins."
"You mean already looted?"
"No. Based on the tunnel's condition, less than a day has passed. Seems they dug the tunnel taking advantage of the estate's chaos."
"Crazy..."
Grave robbing is adventure when I do it, crime when others do. Especially ruins inside my estate, needless to say. This is absolutely the death penalty.
"What should we do?"
"Are you really asking because you don't know? Elise, follow me. And you guys seal the ruins' entrance. So the grave robbers can't escape."
"What about your escort?"
"What about my treasure?"
Can't let my treasure get stolen by grave robbers insisting they're adventurers!
"There's a better method."
"What?"
"How about ambushing at the entrance? If we ambush grave robbers coming out of the ruins, we can safely recover the treasure too."
Not a bad proposal, but I firmly refused.
"No. If we leave it like this, the grave robbers will get the ruins' treasure and get stronger. Can't stop them then."
"How can you be certain?"
"Common sense."
A cliché.
Development where you encounter grave robbers like fate at the heart of ruins where powerful relics sleep.
"There's so much common sense I don't know."
"If you don't know, stop talking and follow."
We entered inside the ruins using the tunnel the grave robbers dug.