Rise of the New Tower

Melty stared at the ruins of her tower, her expression one of utter shock. It seemed a standard structure was never going to satisfy her.

"U-Um, I actually wanted something more... normal..."

"I understand. A normal one wouldn't be enough for you, right? Just leave everything to me."

"N-No, that's not..."

She seemed deeply uneasy, though that was likely because the tower had already collapsed twice before. It was a natural reaction for anyone in her position. To put her mind at ease, I offered her a reassuring smile.

"Alright. For the next attempt, I’ll apply a stronger layer of magic to ensure it sways properly."

"Y-You really don't have to use magic..."

"Even for me, making a structure sway like that without magic is a tall order."

Perhaps Melty was aiming to create a swaying tower without the aid of any Magic Tools? If so, she truly lives up to the title of Sage.

"T-That’s not it at all..."

"Alright, how’s this!?"

I channeled my power, and the newly reconstructed tower began to oscillate at regular intervals like a high-speed metronome. Melty watched it, her footsteps unsteady as she drifted toward the structure.

Did she actually like it? For a moment, I allowed myself to hope, but then Fritz looked at the result with a face full of exasperation.

"And how exactly do you plan on getting inside?"

"Ah..."

I had been so preoccupied with the movement that I'd overlooked the most vital detail. With the tower thrashing back and forth that violently, boarding it would be a death wish.

"...I'll have to start over."

I felt a pang of guilt for Melty as she approached the tower with that dazed look, but there was no other way.

"I see. Yes, I suppose that would be for the best. Indeed."

Strangely, she almost sounded relieved, though I assumed it was just a desperate attempt to stay positive. I couldn't keep failing her like this. I needed to get this right, and soon.

After several rounds of grueling trial and error, I finally completed a tower that met my standards. From the outside, it swayed visibly, yet the interior remained perfectly stable, the motion barely perceptible once you stepped through the door.

"What do you think of this one?"

"A-Ahaha... it’s lovely. Truly..."

Melty’s smile was strained, her spirit clearly frayed by the day's events. Just then, Miranda—who had been watching from the sidelines—decided to weigh in.

"Oh, doesn't this one look like it would break if I just gave it a little push? Ei!"

Miranda lunged forward, shoving the tower with every ounce of her strength. The structure recoiled, bending back like a drawn bow, and then—

"Wait? K-Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"

The tower snapped back, repelling her with such force that she was launched into the horizon, becoming nothing more than a twinkling speck in the sky.

"Um... that wasn't my fault, was it?"

It was a spectacular self-destruction. Lucille, watching the display with predatory interest, hummed thoughtfully.

"Ho? So it repels an Attack? I wonder just how much force it can reflect before it breaks."

Before the words had even left her mouth, a massive explosion rocked the site.

"M-My house..."

Melty stood there, stunned. The tower’s surface was slightly scorched and scraped, but the structural integrity remained nearly perfect.

"See? It won't break that easily."

"I... I suppose not..."

"But it didn't reflect that last one. Should we test what specific magic triggers the counter-effect?"

"...No. Please, just stop."

The tower wasn't capable of infinite repetitions of that kinetic reflection yet. Besides, it had just taken a direct hit; I needed to inspect the foundations before we did anything else.

"By the way, what was Miranda—my older sister—actually doing here?"

I tilted my head, staring at the empty patch of sky where she had vanished. She hadn't actually committed any acts of villainy; she had simply touched the tower and been deleted from the scene.

"...I wonder."

"She claimed she was looking for a Flatty Comrade."

Miranda hadn't actually said those words, but since she wasn't here to defend herself, no one could prove otherwise.

"I see... Come to think of it, she did mention she was struggling in various ways."

The Main Heroines of this world, led by Emilina, tended to be characters with certain physical attributes heavily emphasized. There were a few disappointing exceptions, of course. Conversely, the Enemy Characters and Mob Characters were often... let's just say "streamlined."

"Why are you looking at me when you say that!?"

Sage Melty was a character firmly positioned on that "disappointing" side of the spectrum. However, to compensate for that, she had been granted far more Fanservice Events than the other girls. It was likely the developers' way of balancing the scales.

"U-Um... could you please say something?"

"It's alright. Even a Cutting Board has human rights."

"A Cutting Board is a tool, so I don't think it has human rights at all."

Emilina gave me a look filled with profound pity. It was the effortless composure of a "winner"—the quiet arrogance of someone who actually possessed what the others lacked.

I hadn't realized Miranda was so deeply insecure about being a Flatty. Perhaps her tendency to torment the protagonist stemmed from that very complex. Knowing that, I felt like I could be just a little bit kinder to her next time we met. Assuming she eventually came back down to earth.