Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

Seria and the others had been standing awkwardly to the side since the beginning, as it seemed there was no need for them. But for Ri and the others, it was quite the opposite. From now on, the Sanko Workshop would be operating at full speed. Under these circumstances, everyone would be immersed in their projects and would not have time to run around delivering information.

Li brought them over partly to get their help and partly to do odd jobs.

"Well... let's take a look at this first." Ryo put aside Kana's matter for the time being and got into work mode.

They walked up to the metal dragon and carefully observed it.

“…It has the appearance but no substance.” Ning frowned. “Moreover, some details have not been considered. It’s like he’s only thinking about recreating the dragon’s appearance, but this idiot has never seen a dragon before.”

This dragon only resembles a dragon in appearance, but that's not enough. At best, this dragon is just a life-size figure and poses no threat whatsoever.

"Is this the part you want to target first?" Alice tapped the dragon's metal plate. "Regarding the construction of this dragon, we also need to consider its mobility and the factors required for flight."

“Too heavy. It can’t fly.” The Mystic Eye of Reason quickly gave the answer. “Even if it were to fly, it would require a lot of magic power.”

"That's why I say it's all show and no substance," Ning said calmly. "Mobility is also a problem; there aren't even any connecting mechanisms at the joints that allow for free movement. And this dragon tail—it's just a single piece of metal, isn't it?"

The current Jilong only resembles a dragon in appearance, and it has many problems, such as being too heavy and unable to move freely. If the Jilong is to have the combat power of a dragon, mobility is the key, while sturdiness must also be taken into account.

It was at this moment that the dragon's owner and creator returned.

"Isn't it amazing! Isn't it incredible! Isn't it genius!" Kana pushed open the door with a bang and said confidently, "This is my most confident work! 'Light II.'!"

"Hmm...it needs improvement." "No, it's completely unacceptable." "Isn't this just the outer shell?"

The three of them gave her a very low rating, which hit Kana like a sharp arrow, causing her to dramatically tumble down the steps. However, she quickly got back up, her face flushed.

"Why?! Isn't this something amazing?!" Kana asked anxiously. "Isn't something as cool as this amazing?!"

"Ah... I know you want to show off your feelings, but..." Rie said helplessly, "It's 'Wright II.', right? You made it to fly, didn't you? So how's it going?"

"Oh—it's alright, I'll finish it soon and get it airborne!" Kana said.

"Ha... still the same as always, completely disobedient." Ning sighed.

Kana's answer was completely irrelevant, making it impossible to continue the conversation. She was probably just eager to show them how amazing the machine dragon was, so that others would praise her, right? To be honest, when Riku and Ning saw it, they weren't particularly moved, just thinking that someone could actually do something like that.

But letting her continue like this isn't a solution... What should we do?

"Hmm...that's impressive." Alice nodded. "You really worked hard to achieve this..."

"Right, right! My assistant!" Kana suddenly became interested. "This is my painstaking work!"

“It does look very powerful…” Alice asked, “What makes it so powerful?”

"Of course it's as fierce as a dragon!" Kana quickly climbed onto the dragon's head. "Look at these teeth! Look at these wings! Look at this tail! Doesn't it look just like a dragon!? It just can't move yet! I'll solve that problem soon enough!"

“Haa…that’s about it.” Alice’s shoulders slumped weakly. “Kana probably thinks she’s done her best, so she’s started working on getting the dragon moving.”

"You've worked hard..." Li gently patted her shoulder.

As expected of Alice, she has spent so much time with Kana and has figured out a way to communicate with her. She has worked hard in every sense of the word.

“But this is also very tiring.” Ning glanced at Kana, who was engrossed in herself up there. “If she keeps refusing to listen to anything we say, it won’t be easy for us to work with her.”

“This is also one of the problems that is giving me a headache,” Alice said with some difficulty. “Kana is not the type of person who is good at working with others. If that’s the case, it will be very difficult to advance the development of the Mecha Dragon.”

"...Hmm, let her see the difference."

"Eh... Ning?"

Ning walked to another relatively open area in the studio, then unfolded a magic circle on the spot. Some metals and materials floated over and landed on the magic circle. After contacting the seven-colored magic circle, they turned into liquid and flowed to Ning's feet. Suddenly, they rose up from the ground, and another, more powerful mecha dragon in every sense of the word stood in front of Kana's "Light II."

In terms of size, appearance, and presence, it is far superior to Kana's "Light II.", but it is clear that Ning cut corners. Compared to "Light II.", this hastily made dragon is merely a life-size, articulated figure.

But... that's all...

"Amazing..." Kana stared in disbelief at Ning standing atop the new dragon's head. "How did she do that..."

"Hmm? It's just a very ordinary thing?" Ning smiled casually. "How was it? Amazing, right? Want to learn? If you're obedient, I might consider teaching you."

Chapter 8 Li Hua

With Ning's abilities, recreating a mecha dragon wouldn't be a problem; she's just limited by the materials at hand. The mecha dragon she's recreating now is just a toy figure she made casually. Although it can move, it doesn't have a core that powers it to move.

"Ugh... Didn't we agree not to do this...?" Now it's Li's turn to have a headache.

She knew that Ning could complete the development on her own, but she and Ning agreed not to do it because such behavior was not good for the world in many ways.

"Hmph... It's nothing more than an imitation of my work!"

Kana stood casually on the dragon's head, but the cold sweat on her face showed that she was very shaken and that her current appearance was just a bluff.

"Eh? Really?" Ning said, feigning nonchalance. "I thought it was a pretty good piece of work... Well, I guess I'll just recreate it then."

"Whoa?! Wait!? Wait a minute?!"

Kana frantically tried to stop Ning from reverting to his original form, but lost her balance and fell. Alice quickly cushioned her fall with wind magic, and this time there were no major problems.

Meanwhile, Ning, still aboard the mecha dragon, grinned wickedly, a hint of triumph in his eyes. This guy's actually super sadistic, isn't he?

"Hey! If you don't want it, then give it to me!" Kana walked to Ning's dragon's feet and said confidently, "I'll make it even more powerful!"

Kana undoubtedly wanted the mechanical dragon that Ning had hastily created, but her way of expressing it was too roundabout, and she was constantly praising her own greatness... Haha, it's a pity her personality is a bit abnormal; if she were more humble, it wouldn't be so bad...

"Hmm... it would be a shame to just destroy it like this." Ning jumped down from the height and landed lightly on the ground. "Well then, you can have it? But there are conditions."

"Eh... what are your conditions? Just name them!" Kana foolishly took the bait...

“It’s a very simple condition,” Ning said with a smile. “Kana can definitely make it happen, to make this thing a true dragon, but please be sure to follow our orders. This is a contract… please… eh!”

"Ha! Easy!"

Kana swiftly snatched the contract from Ning's hand and completed the formalities. The contract dissolved into magic and vanished into the air, thus establishing its validity. Kana shouted "Hooray!" and began tinkering with the mecha dragon, but... was it really that simple?

"Hey... Ning," Li leaned closer to Ning and asked, "What are the contents of this contract?"

"I guess that's what you're thinking." Ning shrugged.

"Ugh... this move is just too much..." Alice cast a sympathetic glance at the gleeful Kana.

The contract stipulates that Kana must comply with all work requirements and conditions... This is undoubtedly torture for her... Hopefully, she can focus on the machine dragon for a long time.

"Then... let's begin here too." Rin activated her Mystic Eye, making this all-knowing eye fully operational.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Time – when the Principality's army was teleported back to the country.

“I won’t say anything more.” Saiwei stood on a higher place. “You all know how dangerous the things we’re going to do are, right? So, I’ll give you one night to do whatever you want. Tomorrow, all of you will gather at the training ground. Dismissed.”

After Sevi gave his orders, the soldiers of the duchy left the training ground and hurried home under the cover of night. Tomorrow they would face an enemy they had never faced before, for the 'Holy Sword' never pointed at kind-hearted humans.

This battle was a near-death experience, and Saiwei hoped that they could do as much as possible to achieve what they wanted to do in the end. Whether it was spending a lot of money to seduce a woman, seeing their family, drinking with their friends, or confessing their love to their loved ones, they were free to do it.

But—this is by no means giving up; everyone—must survive. That's what Savi thought, and to achieve that outcome, he would do everything in his power.

Using the magic that had just been restored that night, Sevi transformed into flames once more, soaring over the capital city of the duchy and entering the inner city, before rushing straight into his office.

"Get out of here."

Then it was shot down by a book coming from the opposite direction.

"Hey! Lihua!? How can you treat your brother like this?!"

Fortunately, the rooftop was not far below Savi, and he fell to the top of the building after being hit head-on. He took down the book and yelled at the culprit, only to be hit by another book.

"Tch... You have the nerve to say that?"

Savi's younger sister, Liva, held the third book in her hand and looked at her brother, whom she had shot down, with disdain. Her face was cold and she exuded an unpleasant atmosphere.

Like Savi, she had fiery red hair, but compared to Savi, she was much more reserved and truly had the air of a princess.

"Um... um? Lady Lihua?" Savi, sensing the awkward atmosphere, began to compromise. "Did I do something to upset you?"

“There are many.” Li Hua casually tossed another book aside. “All sorts of things. Like dumping all the prince’s official duties on the princess, going out to play by himself without taking his sister with him, causing trouble for his sister’s work, and having a relationship without my knowledge.”

Bang, bang, bang, bang! Bang!!

Five loud thuds rang out. With each statement, a book was thrown down, striking Sevi on the head with an extremely tricky trajectory, the force increasing with each revelation. Poor Sevi didn't even dare to dodge, silently enduring his sister's rage.

"Hmph...come in."

When Li Hua finally calmed down, the books she had thrown down had piled up into a small mountain, burying Savi in ​​them. After receiving permission, he quickly tidied up the books and then cautiously slipped in through the window. Li Hua sat in a chair, silently watching Savi.

“Just leave the book on the table.” Li Hua gestured for him to put it down. “So, brother, is there anything you want to explain? I’m giving you a chance to explain everything to me in one go. What were you doing?”

Savi knew that he couldn't resist his sister now, so he honestly recounted everything in one breath. After careful consideration, he realized that this one sentence was the only way to explain everything.

"I'm in love!"

“…Sigh.” Li Hua covered her face and sighed. “I won’t pry into who he’s fallen for, but please remember, brother, this isn’t something you can do recklessly using your status as a prince, okay? By the way, I’m on the other side.”

"Wait a minute, shouldn't you be on my side?"

"Huh? Are you kidding? I don't want any cute girls to be poisoned by your silly nonsense."

"Am I just a fool in your eyes?!"

"A fool with high combat power..."

Savi vs. Liva

Completely defeated.

Chapter 9 On the Eve of War (1)

"So, why did you come back so quickly and in such a state? What happened?" Li Hua put her hands on the table and propped her head up with one hand as she looked at Savi.

"You found out..." Saiwei felt a little embarrassed.

"I think you're such an easy person to understand because you're so consistent inside and out..." Li Hua said helplessly. "So, hurry up and tell me, what exactly happened?"

"Well...it's a long story..."

Savi described his day as concisely as possible without omitting any key details, and Li Hua's face turned pale and then flushed as she listened to his description.

"No way...?" Lihua was completely stunned after hearing this. "The kingdom... would actually do something like this?"

Savi was initially the same way, because he hadn't expected this to happen, but that was the reality. If he couldn't accept it quickly, he wouldn't be able to cope with what was to come.

“So, what should we do now?” Li Hua’s eyes turned serious. “I want to do as much as I can.”

“According to estimates, the kingdom’s army should arrive in the next few days.” Savi took out a map. “The kingdom will divide into ten armies to sweep across the world. We need to use the power of the Time-Space Dragon King to help other countries. Of course, we will leave enough fighting force here, at least enough to hold out until our forces from other countries return after the attack.”

“So, all I have to do is defend the duchy, right?” Lihua took a deep breath. “I understand. Leave it to me. You can fight with peace of mind.”

“It was definitely the right choice to entrust this to my sister.” Savi smiled and patted her head. “If possible, I would like you to help Akihabara. The core of our plan lies there.”

"That problem neighborhood that's a hotbed of geniuses and prodigies?" Lihua tilted her head. "Why that kind of place?"

"Ah, that's true... You probably haven't been there yet, have you?"

"Nonsense! Who do you think is responsible for not even having time to move around freely?!"

Bang!

Savi hadn't considered this possibility and didn't think too much about it, resulting in Lihua hitting him on the head with the corner of the book, making a dull thud.

"Ahhh, you'll see once you go!" Saiwei said, rubbing his head in frustration. "You'll know once you see it. I'll cover for you tomorrow morning, you go and take a look."

“…Alright then.” Lihua accepted Savi’s offer for the time being. “By the way, tell me, where is that girl?”

"Uh... that..."

"Stop dawdling! Be a man, okay?!"

"Sangu Gongfang..."

“Is that so…” Lihua nodded. “What about this afternoon?”

“I’m going to the army this afternoon.” Savi’s expression was grave. “I bear a great deal of responsibility for these casualties. If I had been there, this wouldn’t have happened.”

"...Don't blame yourself, brother." Lihua patted his shoulder to comfort him. "No one knows what the future holds, we always have to look ahead. Speaking of which...do we really want to cooperate with the demons?"

“Yes…it’s necessary.” Sevi nodded. “The power of the demons is essential. In this battle, we alone cannot succeed.”

“But, don’t many people on our side also have a negative view of the demon race?” Lihua voiced her concern.

“That’s not a problem.” Savi smiled. “When the kingdom attacks, the Demon King will lend a hand. That way, we can gain some trust.”

"...Ha, so I'll have to handle the follow-up work, huh?"

Please!

"Alright, alright, stop asking me to do this." Li Hua waved her hand. "Let's make this clear first, I don't know what I can do, and besides, this is very dangerous... If we're not careful, our duchy could be destroyed."

This destruction originated not only from the kingdom, but also from some domestic forces that were eyeing it covetously. Depending on the situation, those who harbored resentment towards the demons might also rise up in rebellion.