Ateia wrapped her arms around 00B’s neck, rubbing her cheek against a spot of exposed fur. 00B exhaled a deep breath and grunted.

“I know we’re supposed to be training, this is part of it! I need to have a clear image of you to focus on, you know?”

B narrowed his eyes and grunted again.

“No, I haven’t felt your fur enough! And I didn’t need to do this to Seero because she and I are both human.”

B sighed.

Eventually, Ateia let him go and took a step back. She closed her eyes and focused once more.

B felt as the Blessing infused him with power. The edges of his mouth curled up.

Well, he supposed the New Little Sister wasn’t all bad.

Ateia stood facing 01R. She tilted her head.

“So…your name is…01R? Um, how do you feel about that name?”

R stood on his hind legs, crossing his arms as he held his head high. He smiled.

“A great and glorious moniker bestowed-gifted to me by the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen. I will strive-fight my entire life to live up to the expectations she placed upon me with this name.”

Ateia blinked. She opened her mouth…and then paused. She closed it and slowly nodded.

“…yes, that’s right. Well, let’s get started then?”

R nodded.

“Yes yes, show-display your might as the newest servant of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen!”

Ateia closed her eyes, and her blessing infused 01R. He smiled as he felt the mana surge within him.

Now…now he could be like the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen!

He selected one of the stored spells. A magic circle formed in the air, the Blessing vastly increasing the density of his mana.

And then, a Light Blade formed in 01R’s paws. He took a few experimental swings with it, then turned to a rock on the beach. He crouched down and deployed his thrusters, then shot into the air and flew towards the rock. He spun around, slashing with the blade as he passed the rock by. He let out a breath and then turned.

The rock was cut in twain, its halves still glowing red from where the blade had struck.

R began to grin.

“This…this has great potential, yes yes. Come, New Little Sister! We shall train-drill long today, yes yes!”

A long while later, Ateia collapsed on the ground, and 01R had many new levels in the Light Blade spell…

After recovering, Ateia walked up to the next participant. A spider monster, lying flat on the ground.

“Oh, hi Ateia. Let’s, like, get this over with.”

Ateia blinked, and tilted her head.

“Do we know each other?”

“You don’t. I’m Lilussees, or whatever. I’ve been with the Boss Lady since, like, before you were. So I, like, learned your name. I, like, couldn’t have avoided it if I wanted to, with how much the Boss Lady worries about you.”

Ateia flushed lightly.

“Wait, Seero worries about me?”

Lilussees chittered.

“It’s, like, really annoying, and cuts into my sleep. Well, I, like, hate being awake, so let’s get this over with, or something.”

“Um, ok.”

Ateia held out her hand with her eyes open. Her eyes began to glow and her Blessing infused Lilussees.

Lilussees sighed as her mana pool expanded and the fatigue faded from her body. Great. Just great. How was she supposed to drain her mana now? Her mana reserves were already growing with all this magic practice and making it harder and harder to drain, and now she had an Aesdes making them even bigger?!

She was starting to get annoyed at this human. Or Aesdes, or whatever.

So, Lilussees began connecting to the drones in the area. The boss described the link between the cybernetic components as a ‘web’ at one point, so Lilussees tried to spin a mental web between them all, taking control of their processors. She then used them all to cast a spell she couldn’t be bothered with figuring out herself, one that would drain even her expanded mana and hopefully tire both her and the annoying human out.This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

She sighed again. It wasn’t working. There was some interference from the drones’ mana. Lilussees still didn’t want to cast the spell on her own, so she set about tweaking her connection with the drones. Luckily, the Boss Lady had already done this, so Lilussees could just instruct her cybernetic components to replicate those efforts.

Suddenly, her mana linked to that of the drones. A large magic circle formed in the air and began to rain fire upon the water of the cove.

You have learned the strategic spell Rain of Fire!

You have learned the skill Strategic Magic!

You have learned the skill Ritual Magic!