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The Artificial Spirit Fressia.

A super artificial spirit created by the ancient Atlantica civilization, combining all their technological prowess.

Fressia was hailed as the pinnacle of magic engineering, far surpassing any artificial spirit of the modern era.

An artificial lifeform with a self-awareness indistinguishable from a human’s.

Someone once said, “Highly advanced science is akin to magic.”

But this was a world where actual magic existed. The discipline of science had been replaced by magic engineering, a fusion of magic and engineering.

Thus, the saying here was, “Highly advanced magic engineering is akin to a miracle of the gods.”

The original purpose of creating Fressia in Atlantica was for the Colossus, a colossal mech.

After pouring all their technology into creating the massive Colossus, Atlantica discovered that ordinary artificial spirits couldn’t control it due to its overwhelming technological complexity.

While the Colossus could function, it couldn’t fully unleash its potential.

So, they began developing an artificial spirit capable of fully harnessing the Colossus’s power, resulting in the birth of Fressia.

But something unexpected happened—Fressia developed a self-awareness akin to a human’s.

The magic engineers of Atlantica, who had previously created highly intelligent artificial spirits, hailed Fressia’s creation as a miracle.

Until then, it was believed that no matter how sophisticated an artificial spirit was, there was a limit to how much intelligence it could possess.

To go beyond that was akin to creating a soul, something considered a miracle, or even divine.

But, amusingly, they succeeded. They achieved a miracle through highly advanced magic engineering.

Fressia had a self-awareness and a soul.

But who could have known?

That it would become the catalyst for Atlantica’s downfall.

The transcendent artificial spirit and the colossal mech fueled human ambition.

“If we can obtain that, we can conquer the world.” Such primal desires captivated humanity.

As a result, Atlantica fell into internal strife and marched toward destruction. After a brutal war, it faded into the annals of history.

With Atlantica’s fall, the survivors desperately sought the Colossus and Fressia. It was the empire that had fallen, not humanity.

But no one could find the Colossus or Fressia. It was as if they were a power forbidden to humanity, vanishing without a trace.

As time passed, new nations rose, and Atlantica became a page in history. Then, the Colossus and Fressia reappeared in the world.

By the future Conqueror, the greatest of conquerors.

Or the Lion King, Terodamas.

***

Gilbert finally felt all the pieces falling into place.

The reason Ian had grown quieter lately and the reason he could now easily join the Student Council was all thanks to discovering Fressia.

Created during the golden age of magic engineering, Fressia was known among users as the “Super Artificial Spirit,” boasting incredible performance.

Not only could she perfectly control the Colossus, a Tier-0 colossal mech in tactical combat, but she also provided hidden pieces and growth quests from the Atlantica era to help users grow.

What made users go wild for Fressia was her high AI, which was indistinguishable from regular NPC characters. Most artificial spirits, no matter how advanced, still felt mechanical, but Fressia was an exception.

From casual conversations to combat advice, Fressia was the perfect artificial spirit.

Especially since Fressia was designed as a female, she gained a cult-like following among users. So much so that a new term, “Spirit Wives,” emerged in the community.

Fressia’s prideful self-awareness and her gentle demeanor toward her contracted master perfectly hit the users’ preferences.

Gilbert himself had often taken the route to obtain Fressia. Since clearing the achievements was quite challenging, he had numerous achievements cleared with Fressia’s help.

Back then, Gilbert often joked around with Fressia. Their relationship was more bickering than affectionate, but their synergy was comparable to CT-777.

She was like a handy tool, scratching just the right itch.

Of course, he had suffered a bit when she got upset.

Gilbert chuckled and snapped out of his thoughts.

But how did that guy get her?

Gilbert’s worries grew. He couldn’t figure out how Ian had obtained Fressia.

Fressia was undoubtedly the best artificial spirit, but the process to obtain her was quite arduous.

To get Fressia the standard way, you had to clear numerous linked scenarios, similar to when Gilbert obtained the Lion King’s Mana Core Technique, Lionheart. The difficulty of Fressia’s scenario was much higher, but the complexity was about the same.

Of course, veterans who knew Fressia’s location could obtain her early if they had the skill.

First, you needed to possess the sword said to have been used by the Lion King. This sword was a family heirloom of Ian’s family, the Linebarrels, so it was easy to obtain if recognized by the family head.

With the sword in hand, you could enter the hidden passage in the Demia Empire Academy, solve various puzzles, and overcome trials to reach the chamber where Fressia slept.

Honestly, the puzzles were impossible to pass without a certain level of stats, but when did veterans ever care about that?

They could just stroll in and take her, so obtaining Fressia early wasn’t out of the question.

In Gilbert’s case, since he hadn’t possessed Ian, he had given up on Fressia. Stealing the Linebarrel family heirloom sword was too risky, and he had considered CT-777 as a substitute, even thinking of letting Ian have Fressia.

Of course, when he found out Ian had taken the chuunibyou route, he scrapped that plan.

So, he thought he’d never see Fressia again, but somehow, Ian had obtained her.

Objectively, with Ian’s skill level, passing the gates to Fressia was impossible. Unless he had stats comparable to Gilbert’s, it was out of the question.

As Gilbert pondered, he glanced at Ian, who was smirking.

“A pig wearing a pearl necklace,” Gilbert thought.

Still, with Fressia’s support, clearing the main scenario would be easier. That is, if Ian could keep up with Gilbert.

Gilbert couldn’t shake the feeling of regret. If it were before the contract, he could have used Fressia alongside CT-777 to maximize synergy.

Wait, after the contract?

Gilbert’s eyes widened.

One thing he hadn’t considered, thinking it was a pipe dream.

“Your mech is awesome.”

Gilbert unconsciously recalled his characteristic skill.

Perhaps Ian obtaining Fressia and forming a contract might be more beneficial for him.

***

After Professor Alexander’s lecture, Gilbert began to seriously ponder.

His characteristic skill, “Your Mech is Awesome,” allowed him to plunder an artificial spirit that someone had formally contracted with, and it truly shined when used for trolling.

The effect was similar to Ian’s characteristic skill, but its performance was even greater.

A sense of liberation, as if becoming the colossal mech itself, beyond just feeling one with it.

Though the skill had a strong penalty due to its trolling nature, its effect was undeniable. If he could use it, he’d want to keep using it.

However, finding a contracted artificial spirit wasn’t easy, and with CT-777 in hand, its support alone was enough to cover the skill’s needs, so he had half-sealed it away.

But if that artificial spirit was Fressia, it was worth the challenge. Using Fressia alongside the still-growing CT-777, the synergy would be unimaginable.

Ian probably knew her value, hence why he flaunted her, but opportunities could arise at any moment. In fact, during the main scenario, hadn’t Ian once taken an artificial spirit someone else had contracted with and used it?

Of course, such opportunities wouldn’t come easily, but if even a single moment presented itself, it was worth aiming for.

The only worry was whether the prideful Fressia would reject him. Given the high level of technology integrated into her, she might resist his characteristic skill.

He vaguely thought the system’s support might help, but it was worth a shot.

“Good find,” Gilbert thought, feeling oddly pleased.

“Gilbert! I’m here!”

Maybe he should take that back.

Gilbert’s face stiffened slightly as he saw Camilla waving with a bright smile.

Fortunately, Brynhild had gone to the training facility, so he didn’t have to witness their usual bickering.

“What were you thinking about? I called you so many times!”

“Hmm…”

“Ah! Let me guess. Hmm… Gilbert was thinking about me, right?”

“How’d I do?”

Seeing her proudly crossing her arms, a headache he didn’t have before suddenly appeared.

While her antics were comforting, they also gave him a headache—truly a double-edged sword.

“Not a chance.”

“Don’t be shy! As your best friend, I understand everything.”

“So, what brings you here today?”

“Ah! Right. My mind’s all over the place. Gilbert, did you do something fun behind my back again?”

Something fun?

All he did today was attend lectures quietly.

After his recent stunt of “100 Cuts,” he was trying to lay low. What could he have done?

This was news to him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Huh? That’s weird. The next heir of the Summer Spear is setting up a stage, waiting for you.”

Seeing Camilla tilt her head, Gilbert realized he was about to be dragged into something troublesome again.

“Where is it?”

“Just follow me!”

What has Edel, that little brat, done this time?

Gilbert sighed deeply as he followed Camilla, who was skipping ahead.

 

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