The worst period for bullying is middle school, but Genestellars can enroll in Asterisk City once they reach middle school age. Since everyone here is a Genestellar, bullying stemming from conflicts between ordinary humans and Genestellars doesn't occur.
But without Asterisk City, if these Genestellars were to attend regular middle schools meant for ordinary humans, how much would the probability of bullying increase?
"Let me be blunt—I was bullied during elementary school."
Ernesta let out a deep sigh, forcing a hollow smile.
"From that moment, I decided I would change this world and completely resolve the conflict between humans and Genestellars! The solution I came up with was to support the use of automatons!"
If the conflict between humans and Genestellars is irreconcilable, then introducing a third party is the answer.
This third party should be something indispensable to both humans and Genestellars—and that leaves only automatons. In this era, whether ordinary humans or Genestellars, everyone uses automatons. Except for some remote rural areas, practically every household has one.
By granting self-aware automatons the same status as humans, the attention of both ordinary humans and Genestellars would be diverted. The binary conflict would become a three-way dynamic, and in doing so, the tension between humans and Genestellars would actually ease.
This was Ernesta's ultimate goal.
Claudia gave Ernesta a long, deep look.
She had always thought of her as frivolous and untrustworthy, keeping her guard up around her. Who would have guessed she harbored such a secret in her heart?
She had to admit, her opinion of Ernesta had risen.
But even so, that didn't mean she could steal her man!
Roy took a deep breath, stood up, and extended his hand to Ernesta with a smile.
"Pleasure working with you!"
After all, this was limited to just this world. If he could recruit a genius scientist in the process, it would be an absolute win.
"Oh! Pleasure working with you too!"
Ernesta blinked in surprise before eagerly shaking Roy's outstretched hand.
...
Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City.
A peaceful, ordinary day.
Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared out of nowhere in the clear sky. People looked up in confusion, only to scatter in panic moments later.
From within that cloud—no, upon closer inspection, it wasn't a cloud at all, but a massive swarm of pterosaurs casting a shadow—creatures that seemed to have time-traveled straight from the Cretaceous period emerged.
The pterosaurs let out piercing shrieks before diving toward the ground at terrifying speeds, their momentum enough to pierce straight through human bodies.
"BWAHAHAHA! With us here, you won't get away with this!"
Out of nowhere, a towering figure clad in black steel appeared, grabbing one of the pterosaurs by its beak and crushing it with a sickening crunch before tearing it apart with a brutal rip, dispersing it into mana particles.
At the same time, a feminine figure launched from the ground, her arm cannons deploying as she unleashed a relentless barrage of energy bullets at the swarm.
"Ugh, this job is so boring..."
"Quit whining, idiot. It's the master's orders—all we have to do is fight!"
Alde and Rimcy exchanged a glance before swiftly charging out, hunting down the pterosaurs at an astonishing speed to protect the humans on the ground.
Their coordination was seamless, and the number of pterosaurs in the sky visibly dwindled.
Such resistance seemed to anger the mastermind behind the attack. A massive two-headed wolf and a colossal three-headed hound emerged from midair, charging straight at Alde and Rimcy.
Each of the monstrous creatures stood over ten meters tall. The two mechs fought fiercely but gradually showed signs of struggle. Then, they combined, delivering two consecutive Volniel Hammers, obliterating the monsters on the spot. After the battle, they separated and struck a heroic pose.
"Pretty good footage, right?"
Roy flicked his fingers, sending the spatial window in front of him toward Claudia and Ernesta. The image froze precisely on Alde and Rimcy's triumphant stance.
"What is this?"
Ernesta's face twisted in disbelief.
Weren't you supposed to help improve the status of automatons? Instead, you had Alde and Rimcy put on a show?
"This happened at noon yesterday in downtown Sendai."
Roy gave Ernesta a disappointed look. Her talents were entirely focused on research, weren't they?
"Improving the status of automatons isn't something that can be done overnight. Enforcing laws all at once would only make the public instinctively resist. So, we take it step by step—starting with granting Alde and Rimcy citizenship."
Roy opened another spatial window, displaying a press conference held by Miyagi Prefecture. The deputy governor sternly condemned the terrorists responsible for the attack on Sendai, then lavished praise on Alde and Rimcy for their contributions during the incident. Finally, the prefecture offered the two mechs positions in the police department and granted them citizenship.
The internet was abuzz with discussions about the event—some condemning the terrorists, others supporting Alde and Rimcy, a few questioning the strangeness of the incident, and even those shouting, "Rimcy is my waifu!"—fully showcasing the diversity of opinions.
While some questioned whether granting citizenship to automatons was appropriate, they were quickly drowned out by criticism. "They saved so many lives—what's wrong with giving them citizenship? It's just two individuals anyway, not enough to affect politics." Moreover, Alde and Rimcy had already gained significant popularity online due to their outstanding performance in the Festa.
"There's barely any opposition online, right?"
"Very little, indeed..."
"Of course—I also hired a bunch of trolls."
"..."
Ernesta was speechless. Was this something to be proud of?
"But how could terrorists attack Sendai so conveniently... Wait a minute!"
"I had my father arrange it."
Claudia raised her hand with a gentle smile.
"Apparently, they go by the alias 'Beast Magician'—an internationally notorious criminal. They'll do anything for money."
Claudia's father, Nicholas, was also a Ginga executive candidate. Originally the secretary of her mother Isabella, he later married into the Enfield family and had Claudia with Isabella. As merely an executive candidate, he hadn't undergone the mental adjustment procedures, so unlike the top executives, he wasn't devoid of human emotions.
"You two are truly terrifying."
Ernesta wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, casting a wary glance at Roy and Claudia.
"Don't worry, the agreement explicitly states we can't harm any citizens."
Claudia smiled faintly. Having been immersed in family politics since childhood, she found nothing unusual about this situation. Politics was simply like this.
The footage of Alde and Rimcy desperately rescuing people was perfectly captured - it showed the two mechs working hard without revealing the wyverns' deliberate restraint.
"This is the only time you'll be this idle. Once the company is established, you'll have to start working immediately."
Roy stood up, casting a cold look at Ernesta who was lounging casually nearby.
"Relax! I'll come on my own once your security company is fully staffed!"
Ernesta waved dismissively, her face filled with delight as she watched Alde and the other mech on screen. Though it was just civil rights for Miyagi, a single autonomous prefecture, it was undoubtedly tremendous progress for her.
Roy rolled his eyes. He could only hope she'd actually taken his words to heart!