NoGift

Chapter 35: black&white

TWO FIGURES were fighting on a deep valley. One of them was a tall teenager holding a sword with a very thin blade. Her silver hair was swaying with the wind, her purple eyes never leaving her opponent. The other one looked like a ten year old boy with black hair and black eyes. He was grinning while spinning the two daggers he's holding. Then suddenly, he rushed towards the taller teenager.

Argent evaded the kid's attack. But the kid seemed to have predicted that because he suddenly spinned around and thrust one of his daggers towards Argent. She used the 'Water Dance' - one of the core techniques of the Sui-Ryu sword style to easily avoid the dagger. It was a special footwork that allowed the user to predict their opponent's movements. Argent knew the kid would follow up his attack using the other dagger so she swung her sword and both his daggers flew. Then she held the kid's neck and threw him down, pointing her sword at him.

"Master, I give up! I give up!" said the kid, raising both his hands in surrender.

Argent stood up. The surrounding valley slowly changed and turned into a white room. They were inside a simulation room that she made to serve as her training room. The sword she's holding disintegrated and turned into a silver bracelet. It was a sword Argent made using nanotechnology. When she's not using it, it was in the form of a silver bracelet.

"That was great Master! You beat Black again," the kid said happily, standing up and encircling Argent.

Argent stared at the kid and felt like she's having a headache. This kid was one of the two AI robots she made five years ago. She named him Black for his black hair and black eyes. Actually, no, she's just too lazy to think of any other name. She really didn't know where the design of his physical feature came from. It's like it suddenly sprouted out of her subconcious mind.

Argent designed Black as a fighting robot. His mainframe was filled with different martial arts data, like judo, taekwondo, and karate. He also has a lot of hidden weapons inside his body. She made him so he could serve as a bodyguard. Argent hesitated to make a kid's body at first. But then she thought, people couldn't help but underestimate kids. Many probably wouldn't think how much killing capabality Black has. So at the end, she still chose a kid's body.

What Argent couldn't understand until now was how Black's emotion evolved and turned him into this perky, easily excitable boy. Everytime she saw him grin and move around like a kid with ADHD, she felt some kind of violation. Like this face should have a very serious expression, not the silly grin on Black's face right now.

She grabbed Black's arm to stop him from moving. "Okay. Let's go."

She pulled him out of the simulation room and together they head towards the oval shaped lab in the distance. Argent made the room separate from her lab to make sure that any distruction caused during training wouldn't affect the lab. After all, the most important thing in this island was in her lab.

The lab was built on a small island located on the sea of the Western continent. Argent bought it six years ago when Silver Corporation's business was slowly taking off. Buying this island was the first thing she did after getting her first large pay-off. Having a private place to build things was on the top list of her agenda. She couldn't just build the things she wanted in a place where anyone could go in and out. After all, each one of her creations was enough to shock the world.

Silver Corporation started with the cooperation between her and the McAllister Chamber of Commerce - a group of businesses under the McAllister family. Argent knew that when she proposed the idea to Jaxon, he was a bit skeptical. After all, the idea of sPhones was something that has never been heard of in this world. But after a few convincing, Jaxon finally agreed to cooperate with her and give her the capital she needed.

Argent didn't want to cause a technological revolution in this world. In her opinion, this world was already fine as it was. Mass producing countless world changing devices such as flying cars and things like that could only ruin this world. Not to mention the pollution it would cause, it might also lead to the decrease of this world's natural resources. It was exactly what happened to her original world when humans became more and more obsessed with technology.

So Argent chose a device that wouldn't result to that and would have enough influence in this world. She picked the smartphone technology in the early 21st century. It was not too advance that it would appear too complicated to use. And it was not too retro that it could only have few functions. Argent was lucky enough that almost all the elements in her original world could also be found in this world. That's why it wasn't hard for her to make the sPhones.

All Argent needed to do was make some adjustments. For example, every sPhones were not charged using electricity but using Mana. There was also a built in network signal in every sPhones. That way, she didn't need to build cell towers just to make it work.

And now, seven years later, she managed to built the richest company in the world. Something she has been planning ever since she came to this world and found out about the original owner's circumstances. Now she has the capital and the power to fight anyone who dares to go against her and her family. Even if people found out that she's a girl and that the Duchess deceived Albion's whole aristocracy, she has the confidence to protect her family.

As they walked, Argent saw her master - Hattori Shingen - swinging his sword.

"It's Shingen!" Black excitedly exclaimed when he saw her master and then immediately ran towards him. "Are you training, Shingen?"

Hattori stopped swinging his sword and looked down at the black haired boy in front of him. "That's Mr. Hattori to you," he said, flicking the boy's forehead.

Black touched his forehead and pouted. "That hurts."

Of course, Hattori knew that it didn't really hurt the kid. After all, he's not human. But with the vivid expression on his face, nobody would think that. Hell, even now he still couldn't believe that his apprentice was capable of doing something like this. Well, for the past seven years Argent just continued to build things that defy human understanding.

Hattori looked at his apprentice. After seven years, Argent was no longer a small boy. He was now a tall teenager with a face that probably gets more beautiful every year. And he has done very well, not only in his company but also in his sword training. While building his business empire, he diligently trained and perfected the Sui-Ryu style. Only seven years and Hattori no longer has anything more to teach him. It only proved how much of a genius Argent was. But without hard work, the kid woudln't probably accomplish half of the things he accomplished.

Five years ago, Argent asked him if he could live here in this island. Because the whole travelling back and forth from here to Amexem was already taking a toll on Argent's young body. There was no reason to refuse, so he agreed. The only reason he was staying at Starlight Academy was because of the friendship he has with the chairman. Besides, how could he properly teach his apprentice when the kid spent most of his time on a place an ocean away?

So, this island has been his home for the past five years. And what a great home it was. It was quiet and isolated from the world, so he could train all he wanted. Argent built an impregnable defense for the whole island that it would be impossible for anyone to just enter it. So it would take a lot of effort before his enemies could find him here. Hattori was confident with his skills but even a great swordsman could be killed if his enemy happened to be a whole country. So living in this island was just perfect for him.

"Done with your training?" he asked Argent who nodded. "Who won?"

"Of course it's Master. Black could never beat Master," Black answered but there was no hint of complaint in his voice.

"Of course he would beat you, I'm his Master after all," Hattori said, clearly boasting.

Argent just shook her head, watching their interactions.

"Young Lord!" called a familiar voice from behind them.

Argent turned around and saw a woman with long auburn hair and a pair of brown eyes. The freckles on her face appeared like golden stardust. Felicia was already 23 this year, but there's still a bit of childishness in her features. It was probably because the humans in this world has longer life span so when they reached full maturation, they started to age rather slowly.

"What is it?" she asked when Felicia approached them.

"Young Master Finn has been calling you, there seems to be a problem in the distribution in one of the countries in the Southwestern continent."

Ever since founding Silver Corporation, she chose Felicia as the company's secretary. Felicia refused profusely at the beginning, saying that she didn't have the proper skill set to do the job. And she was right. But Argent would rather chose someone she trusted and trained them than chose a highly skilled professional who could betray her in any moment. She told that to Felicia and she no longer refused the job. Felicia studied everything she needed to be a qualified secretary. And seven years later, she proved Argent that her decision was not wrong.

"I'll call him back later," Argent said. Then she noticed Felicia sneaking glances at her Master and then blushing real hard when their eyes met. Argent just raised her brow at that.

Argent pulled Black and left the two there alone.

"Master, why does Felicia's face always turns red when Shingen is around?" Black asked while walking, truly confused.

"I don't know. Ask her."

"I did but her face just turns even redder when I do."

"Then ask her again."

Black was still confused but since his Master said so, then he must follow. Because everything Master said was always right. "Hmm... okay."

They entered the lab and went straight to the very center. When Argent entered the room, the first thing she saw was a girl with long white hair. Both her eyes were closed. She was sitting on a crystal chair. There was a long tube that connected the back of her head to a prism like machine hanging above. The girl was named White - the other AI robot Argent made.

Unlike Black, White was the main brain that control the traffic of all the sPhones in the world. Every sPhone in the world was connected to her. All the information of sPhone users in the world were restored in her. If she crashed, then all the sPhones would also crash. In a way, she's like the mother of all sPhones. Not only that, but White also control the offense and defense mechanism of the whole island. She also managed the machines that make the sPhones here in the lab. Argent doesn't really want to employ people for that job, so she just made machines to do it.

"Master, can Black play with White?" Black asked looking at the white-haired girl.

"Later. White is still doing her job right now." Argent sat in front of a desk with three huge monitors. "White, contact Finn."

White opened her eyes, her irises appeared almost colorless. "Yes, Master," she said in a sweet voice with almost no ups and downs.

In just a few seconds, the monitor in the middle opened and a handsome face appeared on the screen. The young man has honey blond hair and a pair of emerald green eyes. Finn was now eighteen years old. He already shed his delicate features. Now, no one could ever mistake him for a girl.

After finishing his primary education, Finn started training under Jaxon. Then two years ago, he became Silver Corporation's general manager. When Jaxon suggested that, Argent didn't refuse. Because she knew Finn's ability and she knew that he would do a great job if the position was given to him. And she was right. Now Finn managed the company brilliantly. Besides, after that kidnapping incident, they sort of became friends. Finn was still arrogant of course but not as irritating as before.

"Felicia told me that you mentioned a problem," she said.

Finn looked at the beautiful face on the screen. When he entered puberty, he immediately recognized the reason why he always felt flustered whenever he looked too long at Argent's face. His childish heart was simply expressing admiration towards Argent. The moment he realized that, Finn immediately chose to kill that emotion. Because he knew it wouldn't go anywhere. Aside from the fact that they're both guys, once Argent knew he had a different thought towards him, then that would be the end of it. Argent would surely avoid him like the plague. He'd rather be just normal friends with him than for that to happen.

But whenever Finn saw this face, there was still a small part of his heart that beat uncontrollably.

"The shipment of the new sPhones in Shandra was blocked by the Temple of Gaia," Finn said, pertaining to a small country in the Southwestern continent. "Apparently the new Bishop assigned there prohibited it."

Argent sighed. Ever since the conception of Silver Corporation, the Temple of Gaia has been a huge pain in the ass. "I'll go and personally fix it."

Finn wrinkled his brows. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I have to go back to Albion anyway, so I'll just visit Shandra on my way there."

"Well, if you're sure, then be careful. You don't know what those greedy priests might be planning."

"I will." Then she she hung up the call.

Argent looked at the ceiling and sighed again. Aurum would definitely hate this.

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