The week after the victory parade.
When I was discharged from the hospital and headed to school as usual, the Central Tower was literally brand new.
"Seriously...?"
According to Amae-san, "An absurdly huge person brought it over."
That alone was already beyond comprehension, but apparently, the Central Tower was unbelievably designed so that everything except its foundation could be swapped out, and the work had reportedly wrapped up in about half a day.
Afterward, led by Yuriha's clones, the faculty, contractors, and students had united as one to move everything from the old tower to the new one. As of now, the layout had reportedly settled back into virtually the same state as before.
The northern and western areas where the teleportation gates had manifested, as well as the central training ground that had served as the rookie tournament venue, were still partially cordoned off. For the time being, classes were scheduled to be held with all students gathered in a single school building, regardless of faculty or year.
Repairs across the campus grounds seemed to be progressing at a rapid pace, so perhaps everything would be back to normal sooner than expected.
Classes were set to resume tomorrow.
I could have rested my body a bit longer, but the reason I went out of my way to come to school today was that I wanted to confirm the state of my lab with my own eyes.
Stepping into the research building, I saw a scattered few students taking out trash and tidying up rooms in the hallway, likely here for the same reason I was. Windowpanes were shattered, and judging by the surroundings, there had clearly been some extent of tremor damage.
"Aaaahnk!! My room's the only one completely wrecked—!"
"N-Niko-chan! Pull yourself together!"
"Hieek... Hyagaaaahhhh! T-The altar! The sacred sanctuary of the Lord God issssss!!"
"Calm down! Niko-chan!"
"..."
"Whoa! Don't just suddenly calm down like that!"
Were those two female students upperclassmen?
I just hoped none of the vital equipment in my room was broken...
Bracing myself, I opened the lab door.
Though a bit of dust had built up, my lab hadn't suffered any major damage. Perhaps the materials and equipment were so heavy that the tremors hadn't affected them much. The anvil and the magitech furnace were intact, and I had my hammer with me. For now, I could breathe a sigh of relief.
"Hm?"
I noticed something placed on top of the break table.
The three magic swords I had been equipped with during the raid.
And beside them lay a broken longsword.
My gear had been missing ever since I was hospitalized, so this was a welcome sight.
Looks like someone carried them to my lab for me.
However, there must have been a mix-up, because Mercedes's weapon seemed to have gotten blended in with mine.
Picking it up, I inspected the broken longsword.
It was a well-maintained, beautiful blade.
I could tell at a glance how carefully Mercedes usually treated it.
The material was eight-pillar ore.
While not a magic sword, it was a high-grade piece capable of enduring any magical combat.
Yet the battle must have been fierce, because it had snapped clean in two right through the base metal. Even if one were to force it back together, the sword's structural continuity was severed at the fracture point, making it difficult to restore to its previous quality.
Of course, for a magic swordsmith like me, fixing it was child's play.
"...Alright."
By the time I finished forge-welding the blade back together, evening out its hardness and toughness, and polishing it off, evening had already set in.
I did it again.
I hadn't even started cleaning the room yet.
"...Whew..."
I exhaled my fatigue in a deep breath and admired the finished blade.
Being a masterwork, it had put up a fight, but it should now be even sharper and sturdier than before.
...And right about then, my common sense finally kicked back in.
Logically speaking, fixing someone else's possession without permission wasn't right.
It was just snapped so cleanly that I ended up fixing it on pure momentum.
Would she be mad?
Perhaps because I was still recovering, fatigue set in faster than usual.
For now, I'd go wash my face.
I opened the lab door.
And there, I bumped right into Mercedes.
"..."
We both froze.
Mercedes stood stock-still in a posture that made it look like she had been just about to knock.
"...H-Hey."
"...Yes, good day."
"W-What's up?"
What am I saying?
I'm the one who had business with her.
I hadn't expected to run into her the moment I opened the door, so my mind was scrambling over what to process first.
"...I heard the usual sounds coming from your room, so I thought you might be here. Um, do you have a moment? If you are busy, I can come back later."
"...No, honestly, I was just looking for you too."
When I answered awkwardly, Mercedes merely replied, "I see."
Was it just my imagination, or was she lacking her usual vigor?
"...For now, let's talk inside."
"...Right. Pardon the intrusion."
◇
Guiding Mercedes to a space in the corner of my lab that could roughly be called a sitting area, I prepared tea for two.
There was plenty I wanted to talk about, but I decided to start with the weapon.
"This is yours, right, Mercedes?"
When I placed the newly repaired longsword on the table, Mercedes's eyes widened slightly.
"...I was looking for this. Where did you find it?"
"Apparently the staff mixed it up with my magic swords and brought it here."
"...I see. Setting that aside, did you repair this?"
Mercedes gently picked up the sword and gazed at the blade. Her large eyes fixed intently upon the spot where it had snapped.
"...Sorry. I fixed it without asking."
"...? Why are you apologizing? Didn't you repair it out of consideration for me?"
"Well, yeah, but..."
"Then there is no problem, is there?"
Though she didn't take any exaggerated practice swings, Mercedes inspected the weapon from various angles, and after a moment, softly placed it back in its original spot.
"...Fine workmanship. So much so that I cannot even tell where it was broken. And this sharpening... I thought I would have no choice but to have it reforged into a dagger, but with this, it seems I can still use it."
Tracing the temper line with her slender finger, Mercedes continued.
"This was something I treasured deeply, so I am genuinely pleased. Thank you. I truly appreciate it."
"I-Is that so?"
I didn't have much experience repairing other people's weapons, so I was relieved to see she was satisfied, flattery aside.
"...Sorry about the other day."
"Eh?"
"You know, about the magic swords."
"...Right."
"The truth is, there are a lot of complicated circumstances behind it. You might not believe me, but..."
"You do not need to explain any further. I heard everything from Adinson-san, and I understand now."
"...I see."
That made explaining things a whole lot easier.
Philie-san really took care of everything for me.
"...I also..."
After she sheathed the sword, Mercedes remained quiet for a while.
The colors of the sunset rested thinly along the rim of the polished guard.
Eventually, she looked straight at me.
"...I also said too much. Setting aside the fact that I did not know Lord Walker had passed away, I made a demanding request and insulted you based on strange misunderstandings."
Mercedes pressed her lips together once and lowered her gaze.
Then, as if refusing to run away, she fixed her eyes on me once more.
"I sincerely apologize for my reckless and thoughtless actions back then. I am sorry."
Respectfully, yet with poise, cloaked entirely in dignity, she bowed her head. It was an apology from Mercedes that I might never see again for the rest of my life.
"It may be selfish of me to ask, but I would be glad if you could forgive me for what happened."
"Yeah. Let's let bygones be bygones."
"...Yes. Thank you."
When we actually spoke face-to-face, it turned out to be surprisingly simple. Apparently, Mercedes was a far more reasonable person than I had thought.
"As for the magic swords, well, if I ever manage to forge one that someone else can actually use, I'll let you know first."
"...Are you sure? Previously, you said you would not take custom orders."
"Unlike back then, the possibility that I can forge them has come up."
Talking with Mercedes and crafting a magic sword for Philie-san had changed my perspective. Forging a magic sword for someone trustworthy wasn't a bad thing. Even more so if they specifically requested me.
"I don't know when that'll be, though."
"I see..."
Mercedes gave a small nod and turned her face toward the sunset outside the window.
"If that is what you say, I'll wait patiently."
When Mercedes answered like that, I realized for the first time that this was a promise. It felt like the very first time I had ever made a promise like this with someone outside of my family.
◇
Stepping out into the hallway from Brendan's lab, the white-blond girl, Filiestra Adinson, was standing right there.
"Oh, Adinson-san."
"...H-Hello, Meltzelia-san."
Seeing that awkward expression, Mercedes immediately understood.
"Were you listening?"
"...I'm sorry. Um, it was just by chance..."
"I see."
Crossing her arms on the spot, Mercedes hesitated for just a moment.
To Filiestra, that brief moment was an agonizing silence.
"Let us speak while we walk. It is rather conspicuous here."
"Ah, yeah. That's... true..."
Both casting a glance back at the lab door, they slowly began walking in a random direction. Soon after, Mercedes was the first to speak.
"Thank you."
"Eh?"
"If you had not saved me back then, Adinson-san, I likely would have been done for."
She was referring to the moment Filiestra had rushed in during the fight against Wilhelm.
However, rather than focusing on that, Filiestra shook her head, feeling a strong sense of dissonance at Mercedes's unexpectedly candid demeanor.
Perhaps this was simply who she had always been, and they had just never interacted enough to know.
"No, it's fine. If a friend is in danger, I think anyone would do the same."
"A friend..."
Murmuring softly, Mercedes kept facing forward as she continued.
"I have caused you quite a bit of trouble in other ways as well, haven't I?"
"That's really..."
...nothing you need to worry about, Filiestra tried to brush it off in her usual manner, but that sat rather poorly with Mercedes—or rather, with a Meltzelia.
"If possible, um, I would like to make it up to you somehow."
At Mercedes's offer, Filiestra brought her hands together and smiled gently.
"In that case, how about we go have tea now? There's a shop nearby that I often visit with Amae-chan and the others."
"Very well. Then I shall gladly accept your treat."
From that point on, their footsteps were light, as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
They walked side by side down the evening hallway.
The school building that had been filled with screams and rubble just days ago still bore scars in various places. Even so, this academy would start moving again tomorrow.
Right then, from behind them, the sound of striking iron faintly echoed.
Clang, clang, clang.
Surely, beyond that closed door, the light of the furnace was flickering.
"...And after he just got out of the hospital, too."
Beside Filiestra, who chuckled with a hint of exasperation, Mercedes smiled as well.
As if to see the two of them off, the ringing of iron continued to resonate endlessly.
Volume 1: Magias Magic Academy Enrollment Arc - END