Author's Notes: I would like to apologize for the insane amount of time between the last update and this new update because of reasons (prioritizing my other stories excluded).

Reasons why I got delayed too much for this update:
1. I'm stuck on molding on how the entire scene where Cherub and Karin (Louise's mother) with Louise's father will interact with one another will go as my info on Louise's parents is quite limited.
2. I have a hard time characterizing Karin and her husband.
3. Stuck in reading some of the stories here in FFnet.
4. I'm thinking of making a Gate (the one about the JSDF) fanfic but I'm still forming up a unique idea for that (read: I don't have any coherent premise to use yet). It's kinda tempting for me.
5. College. Lots and lots of paperwork. It's also depressing.

Well, those are the five reasons that stalled me for so long. Anyway, here's the latest chapter.

========== Chapter 20: Two Bars of Steel ==========

It was another bright morning in the Valliere Estates. Another peaceful day has just begun. In one of the rooms, Siesta rose up from her bed and tidied herself up to prepare for work. As she was Louise's personal maid, it also meant that she's also a maid in the Valliere Estates whenever Louise goes back home. As soon as she donned her maid outfit, she went out of her room and walked towards her assigned task in the kitchen.

Walking along the corridor as she made her way to the kitchen, Siesta began thinking about the things she was likely to do today. First on the list was to help out in the chores in the kitchen obviously. Given the time of the day, she still has plenty of time to get there before the heavier tasks were brought to bear. As she continued to walk, she noticed that there wasn't any sign of everybody in the corridors. It's just her walking a long corridor. After a moment of thinking, it simply became clear to Siesta: It's still quite early in the day so everyone was still likely in their beds or were still preparing for work.

After several minutes of walking through the mansion's spacious corridors, Siesta eventually reached another corridor that leads to the kitchen, opening the old wooden oak door, she was greeted by the sight of several maids and some cooks busy preparing breakfast for the Valliere family. Entering the room without being greeted by anyone short of the sound of simmering dishes being cooked, Siesta made her way to one of the counters where some of the maids are busy preparing vegetables to be cooked.

After greeting the other maids in the counter she went to, she began to help in preparing the dishes. As she began her work, one of the maids went to her and started a conversation with her. Naturally, she returned the favor.

"I heard you're Miss Valliere's personal maid", the maid said.

"Uhm… yes?", Siesta, completely puzzled at what was said to her, said.

"Well…", the maid continued, "I noticed that guy that accompanied the two of you and I'm wondering who he is."

"He's just…", Siesta hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Another servant directly serving Miss Valliere."

"It looks like Miss Valliere has some nice tastes for male servants then", the maid snickered causing the other maids within the immediate vicinity to chuckle lightly.

"Ehh… right", Siesta said, "Wait… what are you saying?"

"Well…", the maid trailed off, "Since he's just a commoner like us, he's fair game to get as a boyfriend don't you think?"

"W-What?", Siesta said as her face blushed red.

"Don't be shy about it", the maid replied, "Guys like him tend to come rarely you know so it's worth it to pursue them."

"Eh… I guess so", Siesta replied meekly while chuckling a bit.

"Now that reminds me", the maid then said, "Since you're also serving miss Valliere, that means you know more about him than us does it?"

After that, every maid within earshot of the conversation suddenly became interested to hear the next words that will be uttered.

"So, how much do you know about him?", the maid began with a question.

"He was hired just recently so I still don't know much about him", Siesta answered, "But he remains calm at all times even though people are already panicking."

"Panicking?", the maid asked, "Over what?"

After the maid asked more specifically over her answer, Siesta has to fight the urge to not do a facepalm. As it stands, she just can't say that Cherub was a steel golem which was why he behaves like that as these maids just got the assumption that he's a human just like them… and her.

However, before the maid can press the issue even further, the head maid berated them when she realized that they were chatting on the job.

"Return to work", the head maid said sternly, "We still have a lot of work to do for the day."

"Ah… yes!", the same maid, along with the others including Siesta, replied.

After the head maid went back to attend what she was doing prior to scolding the younger maids into getting back to their work, all maids that were scolded quickly resumed doing their chores. Time quickly flew fast as everyone in the kitchen minded their own business. It was just an uneventful morning for them.

As the servants worked, the smell of cooked food began to spread around the room when the pots where the dishes are being cooked simmered. After roughly half an hour, the dishes were finally fully-cooked and the head chef immediately served them on plates to be delivered to the dining room where the Valliere family is waiting for their breakfast. After the head chef was done with preparing the food on the plates, the dishes were placed on a cart to be delivered to the dining area. Several maids then pushed the carts towards the door where they will deliver the dishes to the dining area.

Afterwards, the head maid issued new orders to some of the maids. The maids in question, Siesta included, went out of the kitchen as soon as they were given new orders. Along the way, the maids started a conversation among themselves.

"Let's resume where we left off", the same maid earlier said to Siesta.

"Eh?", Siesta exclaimed as the other maids surrounded her as they walked.

"Compared to us", the maid said, "You have at least some time to get to know him. It might be short but it still counts."

After the maid said, Siesta looked around only to see the other maids gazing at her with their concentrated eyes. Obviously, they are seeking her for more information about Cherub.

Seeing that she has no way out this time, Siesta internally breathed and exhaled before fabricating things about Louise's familiar.

"He was just recently hired just like what I said", Siesta began as the mob of maids continued on moving, "However, whatever knowledge I have on him is limited as the one that hired him is Miss Valliere instead of the Academy and she didn't disclosed anything of importance about him to me."

"Anyways", Siesta continued, "He's completely relaxed and… a bit clueless about people around him."

"What do you mean clueless?", the maid asked.

"Well…", Siesta said, "He doesn't react to people's moods and personalities that he encounters. He's just… shows that indifferent blank stare all the time."

"Now, that you think about it", the maid replied, "I haven't recalled seeing him having any face expression other than that neutral look. Seems like a frosty guy then."

"Makes him alluring at any rate", a random maid said, "It's fairly rare to see guys like him these days."

"He also exudes that mysterious but somewhat dignified aura around him despite being a commoner", another maid said, "He is really something."

"Just what do we need to do to get his attention?", another maid added, "Not the simple one of just getting his attention."

"It's going to be hard", another maid chimed in, "He simply doesn't have anything that he's interested in. Getting his attention won't be that easy."

"Damn, this will be hard", the maid who asked Siesta added to the conversation, "Still, having that guy under the employ of our masters means that he's still somebody we can reach."

Before the maids can get deeper into their discussion, they eventually reached their destination: the mansion's entrance grounds. Realizing where they were, they immediately abandoned what they were talking about and started going to work.

"Alright, let's save the conversation for later", the same maid that asked Siesta said, "Let's trim the shrubs here."

After that, the maids including Siesta set out to work after getting gardening scissors from the storage room not far from the place that they were in. Being careful in trimming the scrubs to maintain their distinct shape, as well as the flowers on them, which was that of a half sphere, the maids were talking the slow route so they didn't overcut the shrubs.

It was an uneventful task with only the sounds of the trimmed parts of the shrubs getting cut off and falling to the ground being the only thing that can be heard in the area. There was also the chipping of birds but they don't add up to anything resembling chatter.

After the deed was done, the maids brought out the brooms from the same storage room where they got the gardening scissors before proceeding to start brushing off the leaf shavings of the shrubs that they just trimmed to keep the mansion's grounds clean. Brushing the leaf shavings off the estate's grounds proved easier than trimming the shrubs given that this task doesn't require delicate handling compared to the earlier task.

Although simpler in nature, brushing the leaf shavings off the mansion's grounds proved harder as trimming the shrubs generated quite a big mass of leaves. After half an hour, the maids managed to remove the leaf shavings off the grounds and returned the tools they used back to the storage room.

Once the task was done, the maids parted ways to go at the areas in the estate where they will be needed. Siesta, now alone, was heading for the place where she was designated earlier which was the kitchen. Considering her cooking skills which she developed during her time in the Academy, the head chef decided that she be assigned as one of his helpers to take advantage of that skill.

In a room somewhere in the mansion, various vials were seen filled with unknown liquids with some of those same liquids boiling in the vials they were contained on. These vials were connected to each other by transparent-looking tubes that deliver the liquid from one vial to another vial connected to the first vial via liquid from the former being boiled by a burner underneath the vial it was inside of. This network of vials and connecting tubes branching out were all on top of a big and wide table. Before this table were two people.

"Are you really sure about what you're saying?", Eleonore asked.

"I am sure of it", Cherub replied as he waited for the vial he was looking on to cease boiling after turning off the burner.

Concentrating on the vial, Cherub waited until the last bubbles on the vial disappeared before putting a cork on the vial's mouth and presented it to Eleonore.

"Here is a vial containing a dose of Restoration agent", Cherub replied, "As I said before making this, it has the ability to restore life signs in any lower living being."

"Lower living being?", Eleonore, puzzled at Cherub's naming, asked.

"They refer to any living being that is not as complex as humans from a genetic and biological perspective", Cherub replied, "They include plants, insects, and small rodents."

"I see", Eleonore replied, "Can you show me what it can do?"

Cherub nodded and opened the vial before pouring a drop over a pot with an obviously dead plant planted on it given that said plant was already withered. What little of the chemical that Cherub made through the drop made contact with the withered plant didn't show any immediate results. However, after several minutes, an unexpected development, as far as Eleonore was concerned, happened.

Bit by bit, the once brown withered plant slowly regained its green coloring for its withered leaves while the plant's stem slowly regained its strength. After a few minutes, what was once a small withered plant on the pot suddenly turned into one that looks like it being cared by a very dedicated gardener given that the same plant now looks healthy due to its green wide leaves, strong stem, and even small flower pods beginning to open which turned into deep-red roses.

Eleonore, for her part, was surprised to see what had just happened. However, she kept her stoic and strict face on so as not to let her younger sister's familiar assume that he managed to impress her.

"Can it also do the same on dead humans?", Eleonore said off-handedly.

Internally, Eleonore was actually aware of what she was saying. She simply said it to see how her younger sister's familiar will react on such an impossible effect. Clearly, nobody can resurrect the dead bar necromancy and, even then, that wasn't actually reviving the dead as it was simply nothing but a puppeteer's trick play in magic form.

"No", Cherub said.

"Just as I expected", Eleonore thought, "In the end, there's something that you can't do."

"However", Cherub continued, "It is possible to reconstruct a dead human in a new body if needed through several means."

That particular sudden response shook Eleonore internally. Was he saying that it's possible to revive the dead?! Eleonore thought nervously. No, it can't be that given that Louise's familiar wasn't a necromancer or some cultist. He wasn't even human to be any of the two or even an elf. He cannot be a lich either since he's a golem and golems weren't even alive to experience undeath, a requirement that liches must undergo to become one.

Although Eleonore wanted to ask him what exactly did he meant, the shock was powerful enough to keep her mouth shut. As she kept her silence, Cherub tried to continue speaking.

However, before Cherub can actually speak, Eleonore immediately spoke when she felt that Cherub was about to say the first word.

"That's enough", Eleonore said before wiping a drop of sweat on her forehead, "I understand it already."

Normally, being able to resurrect dead people was simply an impossibility that can't be done unless one resorts to heinous ways and, even then, that wasn't perfect as it will have drawbacks that undermine the point of resorting to such ways in the first place. However, here was something that apparently proved that thought wrong. While she doesn't know how this golem can do it, the fact that it proves what it says meant that what it just said was for real despite sounding outrageous from her perspective.

"I see", Cherub replied, "Is there anything that you might want to ask?"

Focusing her attention on a different matter, Eleonore thought about it for a moment. Right now, she has the perfect chance to ask the golem a lot of things freely. With no one around other than the two of them, there's nobody that can interfere with them. However, now that she thought about it, what should be the first question that she'll ask? There's too many questions that she want to ask but she doesn't have any idea which one to ask first.

She can opt to ask about what other potions or what it calls "chemicals" it can make. Speaking of that, one thought crossed her mind. Completely disregarding any sort of discernment whether it was logical to ask, she immediately voiced her question.

"Do you have any chemicals capable of enhancing the human body's physical strength without any use of magic?", Eleonore asked.

"Yes", Cherub simply answered, "That is one of the most basic chemicals I can make."

Eleonore was a bit peeved about how Cherub casually talked about it. Potions that enhance a person's strength weren't exactly common in Tristain and the other kingdoms. Furthermore, whatever potions of such effect there was were deemed inefficient and unsafe. They were also deemed heretical by the Church as well. However, here comes a rather intelligent golem saying it's effectively just a commonplace potion it can make when that sort of thing was extremely hard to craft for mages of her level.

"What harmful side effects does that chemical have?", Eleonore suddenly asked.

"Nothing", Cherub replied, "The chemical in question has been thoroughly designed to be able to generate the intended effect without any negative after effects of any kind when it is consumed."

Eleonore would like to grit her teeth but found no strength to do so. Although she just asked a couple of questions so far, she felt that this golem in front of her has an answer for each question she can throw in its way. To top it off, whatever answer it will throw was something that exceeds her expectation. She would have called it out for such absurd claims but it's clear by now that it's capable of doing things that she can't do herself as a mage.

The golem in front of her doesn't seem to have any weaknesses whatsoever. No drawbacks to exploit. No shortcomings that can slow it down. At the same time, unlike other familiars, it's very flexible as it can fulfill a variety of tasks whereas most familiars would be incapable to do the same tasks at all. It doesn't help that the tasks in question weren't something a noble will order her familiar to do in the first place since said tasks were likely to be outside the familiar's capability to do.

Because this golem can handle a conversation with people albeit with little to no care about emotions and, to some extent, morals, coordination between it and its master can be considered solid. Solid in a way that it can easily voice out any concerns or uncertainties in regards to something. As a result, whatever confusion that the golem might experience will quickly get sorted out. That same ability to handle a conversation means that coordinating for complicated and elaborate plans where the golem will be part of just got a whole lot easier. This stands as a stark contrast with most familiars, which were mostly animals of various kinds, as none of them can talk and were limited to making various animal noises to voice out their approval or refusal. While their masters may know what they say from the animal noises they make, other people might not. In addition, while the familiar binding ritual might boost their intelligence level, it pales to what this golem has going for it.

Speaking of its intelligence level, it was certainly no fool. Aside from its ability to hold a conversation, let alone talk, the fact that it can make plausible assumptions and quickly change its course of action in response to changing situations with a quickly-made but sure plan to boot puts this golem on the same level as humans, the genius breed specifically. Her first meeting with this golem was already a proof of this.

Eleonore mentally gritted her teeth for the second time. She should have taken that as a sign of this the instant she saw it instead of dismissing it as just the effects of the familiar getting bound to its master. The intelligence this golem sports was simply too much for a familiar. Now having the inclination to see how high that intelligence was, she asked another follow-up question.

"What is the strongest thing you can make", Eleonore asked.

"What does 'strongest' entail?", Cherub asked, "Depending on your answer, it can be just anything that I can make."

"It is something that will prove to be extremely useful when used in the long run", Eleonore replied, "So what is it?"

"I see", Cherub replied, "Well then. The strongest thing I can make is something that can generate perpetual energy."

"What is this perpetual energy?", Eleonore asked.

"It is a type of energy used to power up various machines and some simple contraptions so they can work", Cherub replied, "However, what makes this differ from regular energy is that it is infinite."

Although Eleonore haven't spoken a word, Cherub grabbed a mound of dirt from a box just on top of the table just beside him and Eleonore. She was about to raise her voice over his sudden action but was immediately forced into silence when she realized what he was doing.

"I forgot that he can actually transmute inorganic objects into various metals", Eleonore thought.

Eleonore watched impassively as Cherub did his metal transmutation trick on the dirt he was holding. After several minutes, the mound of dirt in Cherub's hands turned into some sort of white metal. As soon as the dirt turned into metal, Cherub began twisting it shaping it in a shape he desires. As he did so, Eleonore gaped a bit. Metals, at least most of the ones that she's familiar with, are extremely hard that it was impossible to bend them with human hands. However, the golem in front of her was just working with it as if it was just clay and doing it effortlessly.

After molding the metal into the desired shape, Cherub put it on the same table where he got the mound of dirt from. Eleonore took a keen glare at what Cherub just made with the dirt. From her perspective, the entire thing looked thin with two support pillars arrayed in a triangular formation which were joined together by a long thick beam connecting them from the topmost part of the pillars. Furthermore, there were some metal balls suspended on the long beam via stems connected to them with the end on the long beam being a loop of some kind.

As she continued inspecting the thing Cherub just made, Cherub held one of the metal balls, the one closest to the pillar, and swung it causing the metal ball to hit the next metal ball in line which, in turn, hit the next metal ball. The result was a chain reaction where one metal ball caused the next metal ball it hit to get swung in the direction that the first metal ball was swinging to with the metal ball closest to the other pillar rebounding the swing back in the opposite direction. As the metal balls were suspended on the same beam, this meant that all of them will be swinging left to right and vice-versa until an external force stopped them from doing so.

"As you can see from this minor example", Cherub began, "Perpetual energy allows it to do work without any energy source like these metal balls swinging back and forth even though there is no external force propelling them to do so except what I just did. Simply put, it is generating energy from nothing."

"What?", Eleonore asked incredulously.

Although she easily absorbed the golem's claim of infinite energy, the fact that said infinite energy was created from nothing was something she wasn't expecting. It was simply too hard to believe.

"Like what I just said", Cherub replied, "Perpetual energy is an energy effectively created from nothing."

After Cherub spoke, Eleonore then thought of the implications. For one, since the golem in front of her said it can be used to power up various mechanical contraptions, this sort of thing can power ships indefinitely rendering any shortages of windstones moot. This one alone has many far-reaching implications. The most notable being that it frees Tristain from dependence on windstones to power its ships, particularly the airships of its rather unimpressive Sky Navy, which will make travel from airships cheaper. As a by-product of it, it will also cut down costs on operating ships since the money spent of procuring windstones can now be dropped and used on other ends like making more ships. The money used on getting windstones can even be written off as savings.

With some of the implications now accounted for in her mind, she asked another question.

"How fast can you make it?", Eleonore asked.

"Assuming I have all the necessary equipment, I can make it in seven days", Cherub replied.

"Seven days", Eleonore said, "Can you begin it now?"

"Unfortunately, no", Cherub said as he looked around the room, "This place is lacking in the necessary equipment I need to make one. Furthermore, I prefer doing it in the Academy since Professor Colbert will be there to assist."

"Why do you need Professor Colbert for this?", Eleonore asked.

"From my interactions with him so far, I noticed that he appears to be fond of various discoveries and is willing to undertake any innovations that came his way", Cherub answered, "Therefore, I believe he will be a big help in this undertaking. While I can technically do it alone, having another person assisting me who is dedicated to the task at hand will ease up things to some degree."

"I see", Eleonore replied.

"Hmm… this golem can also make good decisions on its own", Eleonore thought for a second, "Capable of judging a situation and making a solution to it along with the ability to act independently in a pinch, this golem is no fool."

Just as the two were about to continue their conversation, a knock came from the door before it opened revealing a middle-aged man that appears to be the butler judging from his clothes.

"Miss Valliere, the Duke tells you to go to the terrace along with the younger Valliere's familiar", the butler said, "He says that he also wants to have a conversation with the familiar."

"We'll be on our way", Eleonore said before turning to Cherub, "Come with me."

Cherub obliged and followed Eleonore as she exited the room they were in and walked through a long corridor along with Eleonore with the butler leading the way. The trip from the room they were in to the terrace where Louise's parents were was completely uneventful. There were no conversations of any kind as the three walked.

Eventually, the three reached the double door leading to the terrace. The butler opened one of the pair of doors leading to the terrace allowing Eleonore and Cherub to pass through. The two then end up in the terrace where the Duke, Duchess, Cattleya, and Louise were in.

The four, sitting around a table eating their breakfast, noticed the two coming towards them.

"Cherub", Louise greeted happily, "My mother and father are waiting for you."

Cherub then noticed two figures sitting at the table sporting a stare that seems to measure him up. One was a blonde middle-aged man wearing a monocle and the other a woman of similar age to the former but with pink hair similar to Louise's. Aside from the two were Louise and her older sister Cattleya who also happened to have long pink hair.

Getting a nod that he and Eleonore may seat at the empty chairs around the table, the two took their seats with Cherub taking the seat next to Louise with Eleonore taking the one next to Cattleya. As soon as Cherub sat on his chair, Karin spoke.

"So you are the golem that my daughter summoned?", Karin asked.

"Yes, I am", Cherub said.

"Hmm… you certainly don't look like one", Karin replied, "However, I did hear about your exploits."

"Does this have something to do about the Familiar Exhibition?", Cherub asked.

"Yes, and some other things you did along the way", Karin answered.

"Young man", the Duke began, "Is it true that you are the one who stopped Fouquet?"

"Yes, I am", Cherub replied.

"I see", the Duke said, "With you being a golem familiar, I suppose I can entrust my daughter under your protection whenever she is out of reach of us."

"That is the primary duty that I have been informed that I should do as a familiar", Cherub replied.

"You appear to be courteous for a golem", Karin replied, "I never encountered a golem with such a personality."

Cherub would have raised his voice on both the Duke and Duchess referring to him as a golem. However, reviewing everything that has happened so far, everyone that he encountered has referred to him as such. Even his master and some of his friends also did the same. On another hand, raising it might not be worth the effort and seems trivial. After all, aside from the meaning behind the term, the words "Armored Core" and "Golem" doesn't seem to have many differences other than, well, the former refers to a far more advanced and sophisticated artificial intelligence while the latter was simply all about animated dirt and earth.

Thinking of just letting people, especially his master's parents, call him a golem, he dropped the idea.

"I am just prompt in dealing with people", Cherub replied, "I won't get anything out of being rude especially to those I have to work with."

"You're quite professional", Karin commented, "If you insist, I can recommend you for an important position in the Queen's service."

"Wha?!", Louise blurted out, "Mother, Cherub won't be able to serve me if you do that."

"She's right, mother", Cattleya said, "I think it would be best to leave Mr. Cherub as he is right now so he can act as Louise's familiar."

"On the other hand", Eleonore countered, "He's very skilled as an alchemist so getting him to Oriz would be a big boost there."

"Hmm… a very useful familiar… too useful to be precise", the Duke commented before turning to Louise, "Louise, since he is your familiar, you have full control over him. What is your decision?"

Louise got a slight mental freeze over the question his father, the Duke, asked. On one hand, keeping his familiar at the Academy was the default choice since he was her familiar and familiars were meant to be always at their masters' side. On the other hand, letting him do some other important tasks away from the Academy was a sure-fire way for her to get a boost of fame. Thanks to that one rule where anything a familiar accomplishes will be credited to its master, doing that looks very profitable in the long run. With her familiar being so talented and capable, he will definitely rack a lot of accomplishments which will be credited to her in some ways in due part of her being his master.

Before Louise can think more, her father spoke again.

"Alright Louise, it's alright if you can't decide yet", the Duke said, "It is still too early for you to decide on what to do in regards to such a useful familiar. Take your time in making your decision."

"Thanks, father", Louise said before breathing deeply.

"On another note", Eleonore suddenly said, "Chibi-Louise doesn't have any other achievements other than summoning her rather impressive familiar. Would it be good to get her married?"

The sudden question raised by Eleonore caused Louise to end up choking on her food which she was eating.

"Hey!", Louise grumbled, "Isn't summoning a familiar not enough?"

"That's just one of the simplest things that a mage can do", Eleonore said before taking a bite of her own food, "Do you have any other accomplishments other than that?"

After Eleonore spoke, Louise started to babble as she doesn't have any counter to what was being asked of her. However, there was one counter that she knows of. Except that counter was for a different thing.

"You're just hitting me with that because the Count you're supposed to be married with just turned you down!", Louise said, "You're just going to propose that I should get married because I don't have any accomplishments isn't it?"

"You…", Eleonore growled, "How dare you bring that up?!"

"Now, now, stop it", Karin said, "We are in front of food. Leave that scuffle for later."

Karin then turned to Cherub before she spoke.

"As for you, young man", Karin said, "Me and my husband would like to have a word with you later."

"Understood", Cherub replied.

-CHAPTER 20 END-

PS: For some reason, I find this chapter a bit lacking. Well, I shouldn't be that surprised seeing that I've been busy with my college life for the entire year (well, that's one big attention and effort sink to me). That sort of thing will really prove to be a major obstacle in making fanfics especially those dealing with characters that have limited information about.

If you find this chapter lacking and/or contain errors, I apologize. I will do better in the next chapter. Now, to attend to that TWGOK fanfic of mine already having a massive layer of dust on it.

Also, Happy New Year to all.