I Just Lent a Tiny Bit of Help

NU I looked down at the corpse in the trashed laboratory. Dark brown hair, eyes to match, and those incredibly dowdy glasses—all wrapped up in an Academy for Arts and Sciences uniform. I’d gone to great lengths to look like a background character, but let’s be real, a girl like me can’t hide this much natural allure forever.

“So, this was Glen from the Crimson Order. ‘Lion’s Beard,’ wasn’t it?”

The body was currently glaring at nothing with an expression of pure agony. Looks like someone had a very bad day. He was a big name in the Knight Order, but honestly, take away a man’s Magic Power and he’s just another piece of trash on the floor.

I lost interest immediately. There was someone else in the room—another knight—but this one was still breathing.

“Marco Granger. I see you actually made it into the Crimson Order.”

I knew that face. Blue hair, handsome features, top-tier Spellsword talent... everyone used to whisper that he was a shoo-in for Order Commander. He’d always been a bit of a boy scout, too.

He was also my former fiancé.

We’d exchanged letters, shared dances at balls—the whole noble courtship routine. But in the end, he was just a piece on a board my parents had set up. I have no idea what he felt for me, but I never felt a lick of affection for him until the very end. Not that I hated the guy. He was nice. I wouldn't have minded the marriage; marrying a man everyone praised seemed like a one-way ticket to a shiny, predictable future.

A decided path. A decided partner. A decided future.

Back then, I didn't really have a "will" of my own. I just drifted along with everyone else's values and listened to whatever they said. I don’t think that was necessarily wrong, but looking back, it was a suffocating way to live.

I stared at him, and a memory of a ball suddenly popped up. I used to parade him around like a high-end accessory just because he had a pretty face, I thought with a bitter smile. Why is it that the memories you want to delete are the ones that stay pinned to your brain forever?

“Nu, what are you doing?”

A voice came from behind me. I turned. I hadn't sensed a thing, but I wasn't surprised. I knew that voice anywhere.

“Master Shadow...”

There he was—an ordinary-looking boy with black hair, standing in the middle of the lab. He walked right past me and started rummaging through the shelves.

“This man was my fiancé,” I said.

“Heh. What are you going to do with him?”

“Personally? I have no reason to let him live, but no reason to kill him either.”

“Then that’s fine, I guess.”

He kept digging through the shelves. I stepped away from Marco and moved to his side.

“Master Shadow, sorry for the delay. I have a report.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Shadow Garden is currently in position around the academy. We’re on standby and ready to move the moment you give the word.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“However, fighting while our Magic Power is being suppressed carries risks. Only the Seven Shadows can move normally right now, and the only one in the Royal Capital is Gamma-sama. And, well... Gamma-sama isn't exactly... gifted at this sort of thing.”

“She’s got zero combat sense,” he finished for me.

“Er... yes. And even I can only use about half my strength.”

“I see.”

“Gamma-sama is in command. She predicts the suppression won’t last long, so she’s playing it safe and waiting it out.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“The Black-clad Men are still holed up in the Grand Lecture Hall. No movement, no demands. The Knight Order has the place surrounded, but the only ones worth a damn are Iris Midgar and a few other commanders. They’re too busy bickering to actually cooperate, though.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Unless you have other orders, we’ll remain on standby until there's movement.”

“Mm-hmm... oh, wait.”

“Yes?”

“I’m looking for some stuff. Mithril Tweezers, Earth Dragon Bone Powder, and an Ash Magic Stone.”

I started pulling the items from the cupboards as he listed them off.

“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.”

“It’s my pleasure. If I may ask... what is all this for?”

Master Shadow stood there with his arms full of gear.

“Oh, this? I’m just tuning an Artifact.”

“Tuning an... Artifact?”

I shouldn't have been surprised he was an expert in that, too, given who he is. But why now, in this situation?

“The thing blocking everyone’s magic is an Artifact called the ‘Eye of Avarice.’ I’m just finishing up the final tweaks on a device to temporarily shut it down.”

Unbelievable. He’d already diagnosed the cause and prepared a counter-measure? Neutralizing an Artifact of that scale requires a level of genius that would make the nation’s top scholars look like toddlers. My heart skipped a beat. His intellect was truly immeasurable.

“Should be done by sunset,” he said.

“Understood. We will prepare to move the moment it is ready.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“As am I.”

I watched him leave with his pile of tools, then checked on my ex-fiancé one last time. I pressed my Jet-black Blade against his throat. His pulse was steady. He was out cold.

“Lucky you,” I whispered. I left a tiny, shallow cut on his neck and vanished into the shadows.

CID “I’m back.”

I walked in carrying the gear, and Sherry gave me a bright smile. She took the stuff and started lining it up on the desk.

“Thank you so much! I can finally finish this now.”

“Go for it. You got this.”

Sherry dove into the Artifact adjustments while I flopped onto the sofa to read a book. It was nice and quiet. The light coming through the window slowly turned that deep, sunset orange.

I had to keep getting up to "go to the bathroom"—mostly because I needed to check on things, but Sherry thought I had a bladder problem or something. She actually handed me some stomach medicine with a worried look. I just took it and tried not to make a face.

Eventually, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the shadows got long and heavy. Sherry lit a lamp, making the world outside the room look pitch black. Right as the last bit of light faded, she finally finished.

“It’s done!”

She held up the pendant for me to see. I looked up from my book, crossing my legs like a sophisticated protagonist.

“Impressive.”

“Yes! I finally did it!”

“Nice. The sun’s down, the mood is set... the future of this academy is in your hands now.” I stood up and gave her a few encouraging pats on the back. “There’s nothing left for me to do here. Go save the world with your own two hands.”

“I-I’ll do my best!” she said, her voice trembling with nerves. She grabbed the lamp and headed for the basement stairs.

“Thank you, truly. Because of you, Cid-kun, I can save my stepfather.” She paused at the top of the stairs and gave me a deep bow.

“Hey, I just lent a tiny bit of help. I hope he’s okay.”

“He will be!”

She smiled and disappeared down the stairs.

SHERRY The damp stairs felt like they went on forever. By the time I hit the bottom, the air felt completely different—heavy and cold. I held the lamp up, the only light in the dark underground tunnel. It was a total maze down here. One wrong turn and I’d be lost forever.

“Okay, let’s see...” I checked the map to the Grand Lecture Hall. “Go straight, then the third left...”

I started walking, my heart thumping. Memories of walking through these tunnels with my stepfather came rushing back. I used to beg him to play with me even when he was busy working. Those were my most precious memories.

I don’t remember my real father; he died right after I was born. And my memories of my mother are... thin. She was murdered by a robber the night I turned nine.

I can still see it—that black shadow through the crack in the closet door. Her scream, and that horrible, mocking laughter... it still haunts my dreams. I lost my voice for years after that. I shut everyone out and became obsessed with the Artifacts my mother left behind, diving into research just to feel close to her.

My stepfather was the one who pulled me out of the dark. He took me in, funded my research, and gave me the love of a real family. He’s the reason I can talk again. My entire life is built on his kindness. Today was the day I finally got to pay him back.

“I can do this,” I whispered.

I pushed forward through the dark, and for once, I wasn't afraid.

A few minutes later, I made it.

“This is it... right under the Grand Lecture Hall.”

There were paths splitting off everywhere—one to the first floor, one to the center, one to the balcony... I checked the map one last time and kept moving.

“There!”

I found it: a tiny vent nestled between the second and third floors. It was too small for a person, but perfect for throwing a pendant through. I peeked through the vent to see what was happening.

To hide your presence, you have to relax. That’s what Cid-kun told me. I let the tension drain out of my body and breathed slowly.

The hall was packed with students and a few teachers. The men in black were scattered around, but there weren't that many of them. If I can just restore everyone's magic, they can fight back or escape, I thought.

Okay. Here goes.

I stepped back and pulled out the pendant. I slotted the magic stone into place, and the device flared to life, white light and ancient letters swirling around it. I gripped the glowing pendant tight and, without a second thought, tossed it through the vent and into the hall.