Chapter 7

Ten minutes passed quietly.

After waiting for a full two hours, the simulation battle was finally about to begin, allowing the staff to finally focus and start operating the equipment, making the final adjustments.

Olga Marie and Reuf went to the command room together, joining the other staff members in observing the adaptors preparing to enter the capsule-like devices from the vantage point of the glass wall at the front of the control room.

There, Roman was conducting the final physical examinations of the adaptors.

However, this process was not going smoothly.

It seemed that one of the adaptors had some objections to Roman's examination and was arguing with him.

As for Rozen, he had already stood beside one of the capsules.

Notably, Mash was also standing beside a capsule.

Currently, there were a total of nine adaptors gathered at Chaldea.

Mash was the ninth adaptor.

Naturally, Mash also had to participate in the simulation battle.

At that moment, the kind and innocent girl looked in Roman's direction.

"Is the doctor okay?"

Mash said, sounding somewhat worried.

On the contrary, Rozen seemed indifferent.

"Who would let someone who looks so easy to bully off the hook? Those young masters and misses certainly wouldn't miss the chance to act out, right?"

Rozen hadn't really taken the time to understand the backgrounds of those seven adaptors.

It wasn't that he couldn't find out; he just wasn't very interested.

However, Rozen had heard that most of those seven adaptors came from prestigious backgrounds, either from noble families like Olga Marie or from influential families.

Given that, it wasn't surprising that they would make unreasonable demands of someone who looked as meek as Roman.

"The previous simulation battles were like this too, right? Just let him be."

Rozen said this as if it didn't concern him.

Unfortunately, despite his words, Rozen kept an eye on the situation over there.

Mash noticed this and said with a somewhat relaxed expression,

"Senior, you're clearly concerned about Dr. Roman, yet you're not being honest about it."

Rozen pretended not to hear this and turned around, inspecting the capsule beside him.

This was the device used to assist the adaptors in the spirit transfer, known as the 'frame' by the staff at Chaldea.

With the assistance of the 'frame', the adaptors could better withstand the loss of their existence and the risks would be significantly reduced. Therefore, each adaptor at Chaldea was equipped with a dedicated 'frame', including Rozen.

(Well, it's not a real spirit transfer yet.)

This was just a simulation test, and the adaptors only needed to enter the electronic space constructed by Chaldea to participate in the simulation battle.

(If it's just a simulation battle, there's no need to use the 'frame'.)

Rozen touched the capsule in front of him, thinking this with a bored expression.

If it were a real spirit transfer, the assistance of the 'frame' would be necessary to reduce the risks, but for a simulation battle, it shouldn't matter whether the 'frame' was used or not.

(Though if one isn't adapted, it could still put a significant strain on the brain.)

This time, Rozen thought about it as if it didn't concern him.

Indeed, it had nothing to do with Rozen.

As Reuf had mentioned earlier, Rozen's adaptability to spirit transfer was the highest in all of Chaldea, and there was currently no one with a higher adaptability than him.

Because of this, Rozen didn't experience any strain on his brain even during his first simulation battle, and he could successfully perform a real spirit transfer without the assistance of the 'frame'.

Given this, despite Rozen's lazy nature, Olga Marie did not exclude him from the operation list, making everyone in Chaldea wait for him for a full two hours.

(Though I really didn't want to come...)

Rozen thought this.

Soon, Roman came over to check the physical conditions of Rozen and Mash.

Looking at the troubled expression on Roman's face, Rozen said with a somewhat schadenfreude tone, "Looks like you got a hard time, old man."

Hearing this, Roman sighed even more, saying, "Young people these days have no patience, not even willing to cooperate a little, making my job so difficult. Next time, I'll definitely ask the director for a raise."

"Sure, sure." Rozen rolled his eyes, mercilessly exposing the truth, "You and the director are like a cat and a mouse; no mouse would ever willingly approach a cat."

"Then you're another cat, a black cat that always bristles and intimidates the white cat." Roman said with a puzzled expression, "Meeting you two cats, I, this mouse, am really unlucky."

Saying this, Roman picked up the equipment and began checking Mash's physical condition.

"Thank you, doctor."

Mash allowed the equipment to scan her body and bowed to Roman.

"Still, Mash is the most polite and understanding."

Roman finally smiled, finished checking Mash, and began checking Rozen.

During this process, Roman, who was focused on the values displayed on the equipment, and Rozen, who had his hands behind his head, had a conversation that no one else heard.

"Are you going to take this seriously this time?"

"…I've always been serious."

"Nobody in Chaldea believes that."

"Then don't ask me if you already know."

"I want you to get motivated."

"…I'll try my best."

"You brat..."

The two had this conversation without their eyes meeting, causing Roman to sigh silently before turning off the equipment.

"Alright, both of your physical values are normal, you can enter the 'frame'."

After saying this, Roman glanced at Rozen and then left, heading to the command room to report to Olga Marie.

"Good luck, Senior."

Leaving these words, Mash entered her 'frame'.

"You too."

Rozen waved and also entered his 'frame', lying down in the soft, mattress-like cabin.

A while later...

"Initiate simulation battle experience."

Inside the cabin, a mechanical voice began to speak.

"Identity verification starting."

"Fingerprint verification—complete."

"Voice verification—complete."

"Genetic verification—complete."

"Magic circuit detection—complete."

"Identity matches registered name, confirmed as Chaldea's No. 1 adaptor."

"Identity confirmed."

"Spirit dive, beginning."

As the voice finished, Rozen's consciousness was sucked away, and his field of vision flashed with a blinding light as he entered the virtual world.