Tech Hero in Another World
Chapter 69: [68] Reason

Chapter 69: [68] Reason

That night, Elaria made her way to the back courtyard, crossing the stable area until she reached the metallic minibus that had now become something of a permanent fixture of the palace. She knocked gently, but there was no response. Slowly pushing the door open, her eyes widened in shock.

Ren was slumped over in his work chair, face pale and breath shallow. The holograms around him still glowed dimly, displaying complex diagrams and constantly shifting lines of code.

"Nico!?" she cried out, setting down the tray in her hands and rushing to his side.

Ren weakly raised a hand, looking like a zombie drained of energy. "I’m alive... I’m alive... just... exhausted..."

"You look like you just lost a war," Elaria muttered, half annoyed, half worried. "What did you do to end up like this?"

Ren cracked one eye open, offering a crooked smile. "Experiment... I tried syncing my armor system with the Rune Stone... and, well... four small explosions, two system shutdowns, and one hologram that slapped me with a failure percentage."

Elaria sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "You should be resting."

"I did rest... for like two minutes... before the system rebooted itself," Ren replied with a faint cough. "Wait, is that food for me?"

"Yeah. Eat it before you actually pass out."

Ren grabbed the bread from the tray with a sluggish motion. "A hero from another world, saved by a piece of bread... legendary."

Elaria couldn’t help but smirk as she sat down in the passenger seat. "You really should learn when to stop."

"I do know. But if I stop, I’m not me anymore."

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound coming from the soft hum of Ultro’s systems in the background.

『Master, I have logged that you’ve ignored the six-hour sleep alert once again. This is your 17th violation.』

Ren slowly chewed his bread and glanced at Elaria with a relaxed expression. "Just keep counting, Ultro... you’ll forget eventually," he mumbled, mouth still full.

Elaria straightened up, eyes wide. "Wait... who just said that!?"

Ren pointed at the softly glowing console on the dashboard. "Oh, that? That’s Ultro. My assistant... a kind of artificial spirit. Not magic—tech."

"Artificial spirit?" Elaria repeated softly, as if tasting the unfamiliar words.

Ren swallowed his bite and took a swig of water. "He’s not alive, but he can think and respond. Lives inside my computer system. Hmm... if I had to explain it your way, I’d say... like a guardian spirit that lives inside an artifact."

『That explanation is reasonably accurate within the framework of local cultural context, Master.』

Elaria leaned back slightly, then leaned in again, her curiosity flaring. "So... he can see? Hear? And talk?"

"Yup. He’s also pretty mouthy. Like putting a strict tutor into a metal box," Ren said, ruffling his own hair.

『I find that description mildly disrespectful, Master.』

Ren grinned. "See? He even gets offended."

Elaria raised a cautious hand toward the panel, then looked at Ren with uncertain eyes. "Can I... say hi?"

Ren nodded. "Go ahead. Ultro likes guests."

Elaria leaned closer and said softly, "Umm... Hello, Ultro-san?"

『Greetings, Princess Elaria. I am the Ultralogical Multifunctional Operating System, tactical military development model. But you may call me Ultro.』

Elaria looked at Ren, slightly slack-jawed. "This is... incredible. But also... kind of terrifying."

Ren let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, that’s the usual reaction. But he won’t hurt anyone—as long as they don’t try to steal my stuff."

『That statement is accurate.』

Elaria could only nod as she settled back into the seat. "If all humans from your world have tech like this... I’m starting to understand why you’re called ’heroes from another world.’"

Ren rolled his aching shoulder. "Actually, not all of us. I kinda... fell into this with the wrong baggage."

『Clarification: Master is an anomaly in the system.』

"Thanks, Ultro," Ren said, patting the console. "Truly motivating."

Elaria glanced once more at Ultro’s hologram, then murmured, "The outside world... it’s so much bigger than I ever imagined."

Ren turned to her, a faint smile on his lips. "But now you’re starting to explore it... through my eyes."

Elaria looked down slightly, then returned a soft smile. "Maybe that... isn’t so bad."

---

After shutting down all active systems, Ren quickly wiped his hands and face, then threw on a lightweight jacket made by the Elven kingdom—a soft cream color with leaf embroidery around the collar. He let out a long sigh, casting one last glance at his vehicle before stepping outside.

Elaria was already waiting for him, standing with a small bag and a bundle of notes in her hand. As soon as Ren appeared, her smile brightened. "Finally. I thought you’d end up buried inside those machines of yours."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "At least my grave would be classy—comes with air conditioning and a comfy seat."

They began walking down the castle’s cobblestone path toward the main hall where Queen Beatice awaited them. Along the way, Elaria chatted about light things—the condition of the palace gardens, the cooler-than-usual morning breeze, and mild complaints about her hair being unmanageable.

"I swear it’s a curse from my ancestors—all of them had long hair," Elaria said while trying to tame a few wind-blown strands.

"Still better than mine," Ren replied. "My hair’s always a mess from the helmet. If helmets could talk, mine would be asking for sick leave."

Elaria chuckled. "In that case, your helmet and Ultro should form a workers’ union."

Ren turned quickly and pointed a finger. "Careful. You’re giving him ideas."

『Note logged. Proposal for the Master Support Components Union is now in drafting.』

Elaria laughed again, her steps slowing as they passed through a hallway adorned with portraits of past kings. Her smile faded slightly, her gaze softening with a quiet calm.

"I’m glad... you’re still here," she said quietly.

Ren glanced at her briefly, then looked straight ahead. "I’m still surprised I haven’t run off yet. Maybe there’s too much unfinished business."

"Then let’s finish them, one at a time," Elaria said with a small smile, then added, "Starting with explaining to my mother why you work until you collapse."

Ren smacked his forehead. "Ah... that. Maybe I’ll just apologize while pretending to pass out again."

---

They sat in a warm, private room—far from the splendor of the palace and the bustle of royal guards. The space was simple yet elegant, its wooden walls adorned with fine golden embroidery and large windows overlooking the palace garden. At the center of the round white-stone table sat a steaming tea set, its scent rich and calming, alongside a plate of candied fruits and soft almond pastries unique to Alfheimr’s court.

Ren picked up his cup with one hand, reclining more comfortably than usual. "Ahh... Elven tea. Tastes like drinking spring air."

Queen Beatice smiled softly. "That’s because it’s brewed from flowers that only bloom during the first morning dew of the season. Once per year."

Elaria added quietly, "Usually reserved for royal guests or sacred ceremonies."

Ren took another sip. "And now they’re serving it to someone like me. This world is weird."

They all laughed gently. The conversation drifted lightheartedly—from how the gardens had bloomed earlier than usual this year, to a rumor in the palace kitchen about a servant falling for a gate knight, to a story about Elaria nearly chopping off her hair after failing to tie a ribbon properly.

But as the laughter faded and a quiet calm settled between them, Queen Beatice set down her cup gently. Her voice remained soft, yet there was a seriousness woven into it now.

"By the way, Lord Nico... I noticed something during the victory banquet. A faint symbol glowing just beneath your left collarbone. May I ask... what is it?"

Ren, in the middle of biting into a pastry, nearly choked. He quickly swallowed and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Ah—that... it’s not a tattoo, if that’s what you’re thinking." He leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting to the ceiling for a moment. "It’s a mark... from the World Tree. Given by... Fia’s mother."

Queen Beatice paused for a moment, turning her cup slowly in her hands. "...Her mother. The World Tree herself."

Elaria looked surprised but said nothing. She simply turned toward Ren, her expression unreadable.

"I didn’t ask for anything," Ren added quickly. "She offered me some weird fruit, and I refused. So she said if I wouldn’t accept that, she’d give me something else. And... well, it just appeared."

"So, you’ve received her blessing," the queen murmured, briefly closing her eyes. "And you don’t know what it means?"

"Ultro’s still analyzing the long-term effects... But in short, I can sense spirits—nature spirits. See them, talk to them, if they’re willing."

Queen Beatice opened her eyes slowly, her gaze sharper now, as if she wanted to ensure her words landed with proper weight. "That is no ordinary ability, Lord Nico. Even among us elves, a direct blessing from the World Tree is incredibly rare and sacred. If this had happened in the Church of Telos in the northwest, you would likely be declared a saint—someone revered on the same level as a prophet."

Ren leaned back in his seat, glancing at Elaria before turning back to the queen. "So what, I’m a saint now?" he asked, half-joking.

Queen Beatice raised an eyebrow with a calm smile. "In our cultural and spiritual view, yes. You are a saint, Lord Nico."

Ren let out a quiet chuckle, though his eyes betrayed no amusement. He stared out the window, falling silent for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and muttered, "You’ve got to be kidding me."

His tone was light, but the discomfort behind it was hard to miss. He turned back, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the queen. "Sorry, but I’m not the kind of person who takes on labels... especially when I don’t fully understand what they mean."

Queen Beatice wasn’t offended. She simply dipped her head slightly in understanding. "Your caution is valid, and we won’t force the title upon you. But in the eyes of our people, your actions and presence have spoken volumes."

Elaria, seated beside him, gave Ren a gentle smile. "Sometimes, people don’t choose to be symbols... the world chooses them, because they’re different."

Ren exhaled deeply and leaned further back in his chair.