Tristan was taken aback by what he heard. It dawned on him that Valeria's abilities surpassed his own, and he grew disheartened, feeling like the weakest member of the team.
He couldn't hide his despair, evident in his wry smile.
Valeria glanced at him and realized he was feeling down, possibly believing he was the weakest member of their journey.
"What does it matter if you perceive yourself as the weakest now? Haven't you heard what Old King Augustus said? About your future role and everything?" Valeria asserted suddenly.
"Huh? W-what do you mean? I don't feel like I'm the weakest here... no, ma'am... no way," Tristan muttered in denial.
'Damn it! Is my mind that easy to read?' he thought to himself.
However, Valeria only chuckled in response to Tristan's objection. Tristan then realized how cute Valeria looked when she chuckled. She had a way of brightening his gloomy heart with her laughter, so he chuckled back at her. Their eyes locked, and they found themselves giggling together.
After a few minutes of being lost in their own thoughts, Valeria mumbled, "Where the hell did your pervert uncle go? He's not in his chair."
"What? Really? He's done it again. Disappearing without anyone noticing where he went... just when he talked to Adrian earlier." Tristan said, scanning the room in search of his elusive uncle.
As Tristan mentioned his oldest brother's name, Valeria's face suddenly tensed, and an aura of anxiety and dislike clouded her beautiful features. She averted her gaze, looking in the opposite direction, making it clear that something about Adrian troubled her. Tristan could sense her sudden change in mood even without looking directly at her face.
In an attempt to divert Valeria from her gloomy thoughts, Tristan returned to the topic of her uncle, saying, "Should we look for him, Valeria? He might have forgotten to tell us to follow him."
However, Valeria continued to look away, ignoring Tristan's question. This nearly frustrated Tristan, causing him to scratch his head, even though it wasn't itchy. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"Hey, did you know that I really dislike Adrian? I would even go as far as to say I hate that guy, and I don't particularly appreciate hating people. I wish I could put a curse on him..." Tristan clenched his fist as he expressed his disdain.
Hearing this seemed to lighten Valeria's mood, and she looked at Tristan with a slightly less gloomy expression. In return, Tristan gazed back at her with a gentle, caring, and sincere smile, silently conveying his understanding of her feelings. When their eyes met, Tristan felt a strong bond with her and hoped she felt the same way.
Just as Valeria was about to say something, another voice interrupted her. "Alright, lovebirds. Enough with the chit-chat. Get yourselves up and follow me." It was the voice of Uncle Alex, who had appeared before Tristan and Valeria without their knowledge of when or how long he had been there.
"Uncle Alex! Where have you been? We were wondering where you went when we saw your empty chair, but we didn't see you leave the room," Tristan exclaimed, shocked by his uncle's sudden appearance.
"Oh, that. Well, I had something to take care of for you. By the way, do you wear a shirt and pants under that armor? Come, follow me. You too, Val," Uncle Alex said, then briskly walked toward the door.
Tristan and Valeria immediately stood up and followed Uncle Alex, almost running to keep up with his fast pace. They could hear him bidding a quick farewell to his harem as they passed by.
The three of them walked and ran through the back of the Castle, crossing a magnificent colossal garden, until they reached an observatory. Uncle Alex placed his palm on the door and pushed it open with a soft click.
Inside, Tristan saw what appeared to be a combination of workshops and a laboratory.
"Get inside that cabinet in the corner, Tristan. We're going to make some adjustments to your bulky armor," Uncle Alex instructed, his attention focused on a monitor as he quickly typed on a keyboard.
Tristan donned his helmet and made his way toward the cabinet. As he approached, the door opened, and once he stepped inside, it closed behind him. He could feel his arms being guided to remove his helmet and armor, replacing them with a jacket and belt. Something was also installed in his ear.
Finally, two weapons—a sword and a pistol—were holstered on his belt. The cabinet doors behind him opened, and Tristan slowly stepped back, turning to face Uncle Alex and Valeria.
"Go take a look at yourself in front of that large mirror, Tristan," Uncle Alex instructed, still engrossed in his work at the computer.
Tristan walked toward the mirror and saw his transformed appearance. He was wearing a sleek leather jacket, a belt adorned with a sword and its holster on the left side, and a pistol and its holster on the right.
He drew his sword and skillfully spun it from one hand to the other, executing various moves with precision. Tristan performed slashes, spins, jumps, rolls, and double rolls, showcasing his newfound agility and prowess.
"Enough with the showboating. Let's spar, Tristan!" Valeria exclaimed, jumping forward and attacking him with her own sword.
Clang, clang, clang. The sound of their swords clashing filled the observatory.
"Enough, lovebirds!" Uncle Alex suddenly yelled, calling for them to stop.
Tristan and Valeria halted their sparring, looking slightly annoyed at being called lovebirds. They sheathed their swords and walked toward Uncle Alex, eager to hear what he had to say.
"You have advanced your armor, Tristan, and your AI is now integrated into your earpiece and belt. Give it a try," Uncle Alex instructed.
Tristan promptly murmured his AI's name, "Daggo!"
Tristan heard Daggo's voice through his earpiece, saying, "At your service, Master Tristan."
Uncle Alex proceeded to demonstrate that Tristan's AI could now project information directly onto his retina. What was previously displayed on the helmet's screen could now be seen by Tristan without the need for any additional device.
"Now, we are ready to depart. Let's head outside. Our air transport has arrived," said Uncle Alex.
Upon stepping out of the observatory, they were greeted by the sight of an object floating just above the building, aligning itself perfectly with their position. Its shape reminded Tristan of the B2 Stealth Bomber he had once seen during his time as an Army Delta Ranger.
Without warning, the belly of the aircraft opened, and three rope ladders descended. Uncle Alex swiftly grabbed the first ladder, followed closely by Valeria and Tristan. The rope ladders were slowly retracted, lifting the three adventurers inside the plane through its open belly.