Seventy-six hours.
That was how long I had been going without a wink of sleep.
"......"
Nearly two weeks had passed since the raid.
By now, most of the Magias academy building had been restored, and things were gradually returning to normal.
Of course, that didn't mean it had been smooth sailing.
Press guild reporters coming in droves day after day, students' guardians demanding accountability, interrogations by the military police... A great deal had changed between before and after the attack. But Magias was overcoming those hurdles one by one, slowly reclaiming its everyday routine.
And right now, I was in such high spirits that I couldn't care less about any of it.
"......"
Despite going so long without sleep, my head was crystal clear.
A few days ago, while working on forging with Philie-san's magic sword as a clue, a new fact had suddenly come to light. I had been buried in research ever since.
It was a longstanding mystery.
Namely, a clue as to why no one else could wield my magic swords.
And that puzzle was on the verge of being solved at this very moment.
"...I've got it!"
I stood up so fast my chair clattered to the floor.
Once I ran the calculations, the answer was remarkably simple.
Without realizing it, I had been forging magic swords tailored specifically to my own body.
That was the fundamental mistake.
Because I had been crafting them around my own physical constitution—that of the artificial human Brendan Walker—my magic swords simply didn't resonate with normal humans.
With each step forward in my research, that hypothesis was taking distinct shape.
I had stumbled onto this truth entirely by chance because Philie-san had proved compatible with my magic sword. It was like working backward after already being handed the answer; if I hadn't met her, I might never have realized it for the rest of my life. A difference as thin as a single strand of hair had thrown everything out of alignment.
Just then, I sensed a presence near the doorway.
Turning around, I saw Mercedes peering in through the slightly opened sliding door.
"...O-Oh. Mercedes? What's going on?"
"...I just had a message for you. Did something good happen?"
"Yeah, well, the thing is—"
I started to explain, then caught myself.
The research wasn't completely wrapped up yet.
To keep from getting her hopes up prematurely, it was probably wiser to wait a little longer before filling her in.
"N-No, never mind. It's nothing."
"Really? You look awfully pleased with yourself for it to be nothing."
Mercedes let out a soft sigh. "Well, no matter."
"Philie-san was looking for you. Didn't you two have plans?"
Ah, right. I still needed to help with Philie-san's research. And my part-time shift at Auntie's guild would be starting soon, too. Once my research reached a good stopping point, it would probably be best to take a break from the magic swords for a bit.
"Also, Bren. It's fine to be passionate, but keep it in moderation. Resting your body is part of your work, you know."
"Y-Yeah... I'll call it a day soon."
"Please do. Well then, I'm expecting great things from your magic sword."
Leaving me with those words, Mercedes turned and walked away.
Given how sharp she was, she had probably guessed from my reaction that there had been a breakthrough. Seeing that things weren't finalized yet, she had likely just played along to be considerate.
...I'll check just one last thing, and then I really will get some rest.
With that thought, I set down my pen and reviewed the research notes once more.
Just as I thought.
The issue was my magic waveform.
In other words, a synchronization failure caused by my mana having different properties from an ordinary human's. I was probably the only person in the world who had ever figured this out.
"You're not that different from a normal human, so don't worry."
The old man's dying words flashed across my mind.
Maybe that was his final hint to me. Though if he knew, he really should have just spelled it out.
Since this kind of detail had virtually no impact on magic or health, it was never going to turn up in a routine checkup.
The only way to discover it was through an in-depth examination at a major hospital or research facility.
Even I had only learned that individuals have unique magic waveforms after coming here. It was a truth that had only come to light because I met Philie-san at an academic institution like Magias.
It was merely a single step forward, but if I pursued this to the end, I might truly be able to forge a magic sword that anyone could wield.
And there was one more fact that had become clear.
The reason why Philie-san could wield a magic sword I had unconsciously built for an artificial human.
It meant that Philie-san was an artificial human, just like me.
It was precisely because her magic waveform was virtually identical to mine that she had synchronized with my magic sword so seamlessly.
"Haha, well look at that, it was so simple! Such an easy answer... Ha, haha... ha......"
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".....................Wait, what...?"
To be continued in Chapter 2: Temcha Region Aunt on Fire Arc