A grim silence fell over the room.
"The first one asked the second: who? Arcadius?"
"I'll tell you about him later," the second replied.
At that moment, something strange began to happen around Luxion. A creeping darkness surrounded him, descending like a veil. A faint mist appeared, thickening rapidly. Suddenly, Luxion seemed to "explode" — his metallic frame began crackling with electricity, the air around him humming with tension.
"Arcadius, you say..." Luxion's voice had turned menacing, laced with malice. "If you've mentioned him, it means he'll be part of the future. Master?"
"First of all, call me sir or just Leon. Every time you call me master, it gives me the chills," Leon said, narrowing his eyes.
Luxion stayed silent, prompting Leon to continue:
"Secondly, it's not just that he'll appear. He'll come here personally, and his goal will be singular: to kill everyone in this country and the neighboring ones. These lands once belonged to the so-called 'Old People.'"
"That subject... he's not surprising. Yes, this is typical behavior for him," Luxion remarked calmly, his tone analytical.
"Luckily, he's currently dormant. We have about seven or eight years to prepare for his assassination."
"How many years exactly?" Luxion asked, his glowing optics locked on Leon, his armored shell gleaming under the dim light.
"I don't remember precisely, but I'd say about 7–8 years. We worked hard to get here as early as possible, so we'd have even more time to prepare."
"A wise decision, Sir Leon," Luxion said, bowing slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks," Leon said, brushing off the compliment. "Now listen up. Here's the plan. First, go and fix yourself up. Restore your hangar, ships, robots, and factories — everything's overgrown, rusted out, and falling apart."
"And after that?" Luxion asked with genuine curiosity.
"After that, help me deal with our problems," Leon said firmly, crossing his arms.
"Oh? What kind of problems?"
"Help me take care of one... bitch."
Luxion's sensors seemed to flicker in amusement. "Oh, my master is vulgar too! Boo-hoo-hoo, why me?" Luxion said mockingly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Cut the theatrics!" Leon shouted, glaring at him.
"My apologies. It's as if I feel a compulsion to tease you," Luxion admitted, unbothered by the outburst.
"You're probably programmed for it," Leon muttered, exasperated. "All the robots from the 'Old People' were the same. Constantly trolling."
"How bad was it?" Luxion asked suddenly, tilting his head with interest.
"Really bad," Leon replied with a wry smile, his eyes distant as if recalling some absurd memories. "Every chance they got."
"Alright, let's get started, Luxion."
"At once, Sir."
With those words, countless drones began pouring out of the ship, each equipped with manipulators and tools. They scattered like a swarm of insects, setting to work. Some repaired the ship's hull, others restored factories and production lines, while still others tended to the floating island, clearing debris and damage.
A week passed.
At the Balfourt household, Zola herself arrived, marching up to the door with a stack of papers clutched in her hands. Her expression radiated irritation as she handed the documents to Barcus, her tone as sharp as ever.
"Your brat might actually be good for something!" she snapped, tapping the papers with her finger. "So, as the kind person I am, I've found a future wife for that little bastard of yours. It's all written here. Just sign it!"
Barcus looked exhausted. He had spent the past few weeks managing the barony's affairs, which left him with little patience for Zola's nonsense. He sighed, rubbing his temples as he prepared to respond.
But before he could speak, two boys burst into the room.
"You little bastards! Can't you see adults are talking here?!" Zola yelled, her face twisting in anger.
The boys, however, ignored her entirely. Their eyes were wide with excitement as they rushed up to Barcus.
"Father! Leon is back!" shouted Colin and Nicks, their voices ringing with joy.