I decided after the meeting with my teacher that I should deal with that combat homunculus before anything else. Because while I could deal with keeping a couple of dozen people locked away inside of a spatially expanded prison for being heartless slavers that I could drain for mana.
The thought of some random soul-bound homunculus tied up and left in my closet, metaphorically speaking, was a bit more worrisome.
Hence, I got onto my scroll and, after a quick call with Jingliu, Weiss's own retainer I learned that the Homunculus was actually over at Weiss's quarters. As rather unsurprisingly, Lux didn't want said homunculus to be kept here in her magic tower.
So I went and got into a golf cart, basically and spent another twenty minutes driving across Beacon's massive campus to get to Weiss's own private home that was next to a section of teachers' housing.
And seeing her home, I noted rather idly that her placement was clearly a sign that the teachers and staff of Beacon were keeping a close eye on her. Unlike Pyrrha, who lived in the Nobles' dorm area without any such blatant watchfulness.
'Whelp, time to find some new trouble.' I thought.
Jingliu swiftly opened the door when I knocked upon it. And seeing her I nodded and said helplessly. "Has Weiss been alright lately? I been rather busy as of late."
With Jingliu shrugging and saying blandly. "She has been keeping herself busy with training. And with our new 'guest' she has been in a rather foul mood to say the least."
Jingliu then waved to me and said in a somewhat cold tone. "Follow me please... I imagine this little meeting is going to be rather painful for all involved."
Yeah, that didn't soothe my nerves at all.
But I followed her deeper into the house, past the foyer and up the stairs, where she lead me towards what seemed like the master bedroom.
"Mistress, Jake is here." Jingliu called as she knocked on the door.
And the fainter voice of Weiss called back. "Bring him in."
Jingliu opened the door and I walked past her as she held herself next to the door and wall. And after I past she rather bluntly closed behind her as she left the room.
Leaving just me and Weiss in the room together.
The room with alot more color in its furniture than I expected from Weiss, who primarily wore such light shades of clothing.
Weiss herself was sitting in an office chair that was seemingly previously in front of a worktable with her open scroll still active before she spun around.
And seeing me, she took a breath before she folded her arms over her... Diminutive chest that was partly exposed with the thin silk robe she was wearing currently.
"I am... Very torn right now Jake." Weiss spoke softly as she stared past me.
My lips twitched as I couldn't help but ask frankly. "The family member, were you two close?"
Weiss's eye's met mine. And she gave me a long, searching look before she spoke softly. "As a Schnee, the most important thing in life... Is power, whether it be with your skill with the Schnee semblance, magic, or martial arts. The brutal life of Atlas is matched only by its people who respect strength above all else."
She took a deep breath before she spoke softly. "Whether it's the clans of Mistral whose habits of slavery and predatory actions between themselves. Or the Abizar's who rule the endless deserts and mountains of Vacuo, or the Schnee's of Atlas, we benchmark ourselves purely off our strength."
"My cousin... Charlotte was strong, very, very strong. She was supposed to become my elder sister Winter's retainer, and serve as her right hand in leading our Royal Family as a reward for her mother and father's service but-"
She drew off with a scowl that crossed her face. "She had an affair with a man outside of her husband's control. Her husband was an allied grandmaster who was the head of another noble house, which was one of the Schnee direct vassals."
Her face turned up in disgust as she said more crossly. "She decided that she had fallen in love with this knight who had entered the Schnee's service. Someone who had learned charm magic and got her attention without actually touching upon her mind in reality, besides merely getting her attention in general."
She took a breath and said with finality.
"She became pregnant with that knight's child... Which, for a Schnee with a royal bloodline and semblance, is utterly unacceptable when she wanted to flee Atlas to get away from the scorn."
"Not only that, but she publicly humiliated the Grandmaster head of the family in the middle of an event by saying if he wasn't twice her age and didn't need to drugs to properly make love to her, she woudn't have NEEDED to cheat."
My mouth closed as I said helplessly. "So... She made too much of a stink and had her soul shredded for what? Trying to leave Atlas when people called her out on her shit with the help of a fucking Grimm???"
Weiss stared me dead in the eye and said quietly. "No, her soul was not shredded. She is like Ferid's soul-bound automatons. If she were only trying to flee Atlas and wanted to become an Abomination at the same time. We would have just burned her alive and bound her soul into a painting to be eternally tormented, as we do other traitors in my family."
"No, the reason she is going to suffer for the rest of her very long natural life before being eternally tormented in death. Is because she carved open her own womb to sacrifice her unborn child to that Apacolypse tier Grimm who wanted to take the child and use it as a time bomb."
I went utterly quiet along with Weiss as I digested that utter fucking insanity. And while I wanted to believe that was just crazy. And that all those events couldn't have happened.
Well, to say the least, in my old world. Royal bloodlines regularly killed one another off in horrible ways anyway. Even if hers went ever further than that.
Still, I shook my head and said with a shake of my head. "I am not Ferid. I do not have any interest in such soul-bound automatons... And frankly, I would rather her just die than keep her around myself personally."
Weiss shrugged and said evenly. "It's a distasteful thing for sure, Jake. But right now, could you really say you don't want a Grandmaster-tier martial artist who is bound to your will. Unable to betray you, unable to remotely go against your will and desire. Someone who is incorruptible in their pursuit to keep you safe?"
I gave Weiss a look before I said softly. "Would the binding spell you teach me from your own family... Truly, not have any issues? What if she has spying spells embedded into her very body and soul?"
I shook my head and said with a smile. "You know what... Nah, honestly, I am good. I respectfully decline this gift from your family."
But Weiss's face went pale and she took a deep breath before she said quietly. "Please. Jake, please just take her away from here. If I fail to deliver my family's goodwill, then my own stay here will become complicated or worse, they could themselves call me a failure and attempt to take me back to Atlas."
That was a very valid point. So with a hand going down my face I decided that fuck it. If this traitor to humanity was my 'property' at this point. Then I had the right to decide her fate.
So I said bluntly. "Fine, then please send it to Lux's magic tower."
As Weiss smiled a bit in relief, her face stilled as I said casually. "I will be asking Ferid to look into the automaton. To make sure there aren't any issues and to get the local binding method as well. Please extend my gratitude to your family if they DO contact you."
More like... While I was previously just thinking about burning her alive in the God of Light's light of annihilation. I actually realized I could just sell the automaton to Ferid and Calia for a fuck load of materials.
Because a Schnee Automaton that still had its Bloodline Semblance? The value of such a thing to a necromancer like those two couldn't be understated.
I leaned back in the lounge chair I had been sitting in when I came in. And looking around, I could tell that Weiss kept her bedroom all to clear of distractions as well as clutter.
As there weren't any clothes left out, the bed was firmly made, and I bet if I dragged my finger along the window line, there woudn't even be a streak of dust or anything.
But even with all of that. The room did have bit's of Weiss's own personality in it as there were several paintings of snow-capped mountains and other snow-themed decorations.
"So, with that nasty business of raiding done and over with... For now. And school is restarting next week. You got any major projects you been working on?" I asked curiously.
A quiet sniff escaped Weiss before she said with some amusement. "Not a major project like you seem to so seem to enjoy, like your ghost ship. I am currently working on a spell matrix that will scale later on into it's true form of a Master class ice matrix."
A growth-type spell matrix, then. Those were VERY rare, and only sages could make them. And only a Sage King could probably make one that could scale to the Master level.
Either way, I nodded and asked with a pointed chuckle. "Oh? Then, when the next class trial comes around. I will have to endeavor ever harder to get you on my team then."
Weiss's proud smile all but blinded me with her perfect white teeth. But then her smile slightly faded as she asked. "On that very same vein Jake. Are you working on some monstrous project instead?"
I was quiet for a moment as I wondered if I should actually say anything to Weiss about this in particular. Because telling Atlas, the most technologically advanced' civilization on this world, that I was planning on making the world's first known space station sounded like a bad idea.
Let alone my secondary ultimate hope of building a fucking moon base that would be free from the predations of the grimm. 'Also away from the hands of greedy assholes that wanted my silver eyes.'
I shrugged before I said with a chuckle. "Well... I do plan to make a large humanoid war machine with the Rose family heiress Ruby at some point soon."
"Besides that? I just got back from a two-week training trip at the Rose mansion. I am ready for a little break and just a little bit of some light lessons with my own teacher before I get thrown back into the meat grinder."
"That is fair I suppose. I imagine learning how to channel the divine light of the God of Light was anything but easy or relaxing... Have you mastered the use of your Silver Eye's though?" Weiss asked with an odd tone to her voice.
And unbidden I recalled Weiss and Pyrrha's argument when they got into a cat fight over me. Now, to say nothing of my 'Naval creation' bloodline ability. But now my bloodline came with the added bonus of Silver Eyes as well.
For Noble Families who wanted to strengthen their bloodline with literal divinity. 'Which was damn near any noble family with a brain.' They obviously were going to be interested in honey potting me.
Something that Lux had repeatedly warned me to be worried about. And to make sure I never ate food or drink offered to me besides whatever I gathered from specific public locations and my home.