The following week arrived after the special lecture had wrapped up to great acclaim.
The Kingdom of Gleefia had entered its rainy season.
"All right, everyone... Starting next week, we'll be heading into the Rainy Season Break."
"Yay!"
Luluck was the first to react to Professor Blanchard's announcement.
This country had a tradition of celebrating the rain.
A long time ago, a massive conflagration had threatened to reduce the royal capital to ash. A great mage of that era intervened, manipulating the skies to summon a downpour.
The rain fell for seven straight days, keeping the destruction to a minimum. Ever since, it was said that the capital saw seven consecutive days of rainfall at the exact same time every year.
Or so the vague legend went—this kingdom had plenty of others just like it. Hailing from the rural Decol Region, I had never actually witnessed those seven unbroken days of rain in the royal capital.
Even so, I knew the entire nation, not just the capital, took an extended holiday during this time. Essentially, it was a national break.
"The research building will be off-limits while they finish remodeling the remaining interiors. More to the point, you all should use this chance to get some proper rest."
Come to think of it, that had been the plan.
In that case, I needed to wrap up my ongoing research before the break started.
My aunt had also told me she wanted my help with guild work in earnest once the holidays rolled around, so I figured I should finish what needed doing and lock up early.
Once Professor Blanchard gave her brief sign-off and dismissed us, I headed straight for Philie-san's lab.
Her research lab was a corner room.
It sat further down the hall from the room shared by Amae-san and Luluck, which occasionally echoed with the sound of explosions.
...It was serene.
As always, the space carried a distinct atmosphere.
I caught my breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The moment I pushed the door open, the faint scents of medicinal herbs and antiseptic greeted my nose.
A hospital examination room.
That was the best way to describe Philie-san's private quarters.
A white examination table occupied the center of the room.
Lined up along the walls were anatomical models, skeletal specimens, and various pieces of medical magitech equipment, while the bookshelves were packed with medical texts and magical treatises.
The entire room was astonishingly tidy.
The books on the shelves were aligned flush by the height of their spines, not a speck of dust could be seen on the floor, and the walls were immaculate. A single draft document and a quill pen rested neatly on her desk.
At the desk in the back, Philie-san was quietly looking over some materials.
"Welcome. I was just about to go looking for you. I'll brew some tea, so could you give me a moment?"
"...Ah, sure."
I gave a slight nod to Philie-san, who greeted me with a warm smile.
As usual, she looked ready for work, wearing a white lab coat over her school uniform.
"I finished what you asked for, so I came to drop it off."
"You're done already? Thank you."
Taking a seat on the sofa, I placed the thick stack of bound documents on the low table. The task she had requested involved supplementary calculations for her research: the safe threshold depths for anesthetic spells, the operational efficiency of the Temcha style, and compiling various datasets.
Looking through her work made me realize just how difficult it was—frankly, it was monstrously complex. Without mobilizing every scrap of knowledge I had and applying it through intricate calculations, I wouldn't have even been able to handle the basic busywork.
"You're so quick, Walker-kun. It really helps. Yes, the contents look flawless, too."
Philie-san picked up the documents from the table, replacing them with the tea set she had prepared. A cup filled with an amber liquid was set gently before me.
"So, about that examination the other day..."
My spine stiffened at the change in topic.
By examination, she meant the thorough physical checkup.
It had started with Philie-san wanting to run blood tests on a mage with a high magic coefficient. Nothing unusual had cropped up back then, and she said she had gathered some very valuable data.
She later proposed a more comprehensive physical examination, which I agreed to. Today was when I would receive the results.
"I examined your body from every possible angle, Walker-kun."
I held my breath.
While it remained my private secret, the old man had claimed I was an artificial human, making this thorough checkup a great opportunity to understand my own body. Having a trustworthy classmate perform it made it even better.
Two questions weighed on my mind.
First, was my body truly indistinguishable from a normal human's, and could it be considered healthy?
Second was the suspicion that Philie-san herself might be an artificial human just like me.
With so many uncertainties, I had hesitated, but ultimately decided to go through with the examination.
I hadn't said anything yet, but she might know something about my physiology. In fact, she might have already deduced my secrets entirely from the results.
Above all, I wanted to know if Philie-san was also an existence whose soul had been summoned from another world.
"Your dragon veins, heart, and nerves, Walker-kun... I was amazed to see so many magical tissues functioning at such an exceptional level. Honestly, it's the sort of thing you only ever see illustrated in textbooks."
Listening to Philie-san speak with quiet excitement, I was momentarily stunned.
"The dragon veins in particular were incredible. The pathways run so beautifully. It's the first time I've ever seen an actual living subject with virtually no distortion."
"Is it really that rare?"
"Yes. It should make crafting a key far less troublesome."
"A key?"
"Yes. When you have important papers or research you don't want anyone else to read, you lock them so they can only be opened by a specific person's dragon veins. It can't be duplicated or forged, making it the most secure method of information protection."
Ah, dragon vein authentication.
The old man used to do that with crucial manuals and specification sheets, too.
"Speaking of dragon veins, was there anything else unusual?"
"Pardon?"
"Like, you know... anything wrong with them?"
Philie-san shook her head at once.
"No. As far as my tests showed, every single metric was perfectly healthy. I didn't find any anomalies leaning in a negative direction."
"...How about my magic waveform?"
"Your waveform?...Well, yes. I don't believe there was anything strange about it."
"I see."
"Still, Walker-kun, you're surprisingly familiar with such specialized terminology."
"Well, no, it's just..."
I tried probing a little, but she didn't seem to be hiding anything.
Could it be that Philie-san didn't even know the concept of an artificial human?
Granted, to an ordinary observer, a magic waveform was a trivial detail.
It was treated as little more than a fingerprint.
The notion that such a fingerprint dictated whether someone could wield a magic sword wouldn't cross a normal person's mind.
Besides, the idea that Philie-san was an artificial human was merely my own hypothesis. For that matter, there was no academic proof that I was an artificial human either, aside from the old man's word.
There could easily be another reason why Philie-san was able to use my magic sword, and she might just be an ordinary human after all.
...Piling assumption upon assumption was only muddling my thoughts.
For now, I should simply be glad my body was in good health.
Sharing information about magic sword compatibility could wait until I reached a definitive conclusion.
I would put the suspicion about Philie-san being an artificial human out of my mind for a while.
"Thanks to your help, Walker-kun, my research made tremendous progress, so I managed to wrap things up before the break. Thank you."
"Don't mention it..."
"To show my appreciation, please let me treat you to something next time. Are you free during the break? On the final day, I'm planning to visit the Rain Market with Amae-chan and the others."
"...Ah, right, she mentioned something about that."
"We're all going out to live our youth, so keep your schedule clear," she had said.
So Philie-san had been invited, too.
I appreciated how Amae-san always took the initiative to gather everyone and organize outings.
She was almost too kind for her own good.
"Still, Philie-san, you're always looking out for me, so I'd feel bad accepting."
"I already received that precious magic sword from you before, Walker-kun. I've been wanting to properly thank you for a long time. Please? Won't you let me?"
"...Well, if you insist."
"Really? We're going to a shop known for delicious tarts, so you have that to look forward to."
I didn't care much for being treated, but I had agreed before I could stop myself.
I wasn't sure if Philie-san realized it, but her plea held a subtle charm woven into her innocent demeanor. She was surprisingly skilled when it came to her expressions.
"I'm glad our schedules aligned, Walker-kun. Aside from the final day, I was planning to visit home."
"Your family's in Temcha, right?"
"Yes. Amae-chan seems to have business there as well, so we're setting off together next week. What are your plans for the break, Walker-kun?"
...Hm? Why was Amae-san going with her?
I thought she had mentioned her family lived in the royal capital.
Well, I could just ask whenever it crossed my mind again.
"I'll probably be helping out with my aunt's work."
Since she was paying my tuition, I needed to pull my weight. In all honesty, I had buried myself a little too deeply in research over the last two months.
"I see... Even during the break? Walker-kun, you mentioned your aunt runs a guild, didn't you? Um... your test results were fine, but you're always staying up late, so please try to get normal sleep during the holidays, all right?"
After trading a bit more idle chatter, I took my leave of Philie-san's lab.
◇
"I see. So Philie-san is returning home for the holidays."
Lounging on the sofa as though she owned the place, Mercedes brought her teacup to her lips with practiced elegance.
"I had considered inviting her to the opera on a free day, but if we will be seeing each other on the final day regardless, that works just as well. I had planned to spend most of the vacation at Dragon Lake myself, after all."
"............"
"So, Bren. What is the status of the magic sword?"
Lately, Mercedes had been dropping by to check on the magic swords whenever she had a moment.
She never stayed long, but her routine had become drinking a cup of tea, looking over the blades, tossing out a remark or two, and leaving.
"Well, it's coming along, I suppose..."
"Hmph. Do you have anything tangible to show for it?"
...This girl. Despite claiming she would wait patiently, she was pushing me pretty hard. Then again, finding a solution was an urgent priority for me as well. Having someone light a fire under me was a welcome pressure.
"If you're fine with something that's just a step up from before, it's over there."
Still polishing an unfinished blade, I pointed toward a magic sword hanging on the wall before its fittings were added. I had calibrated its compatibility parameters with third parties in mind. Mercedes hadn't been able to wield Philie-san No. 5 at all, but this one should suit her distinctly better.
"Oh? This is..."
"It's dangerous, so be careful if you touch it."
"Who do you think you are speaking to? I shall just borrow it for a mom────"
Mercedes gripped the hilt, which was merely wrapped in cloth.
"—?!"
A soundless gasp tore from her throat.
Her long, slender limbs trembled, and she let go without a word.
"You all right?"
"...Y-Yes. I am fine. It merely s-startled me."
Though visibly rattled, Mercedes didn't appear hurt. Was she simply unaccustomed to the feedback of a magic sword syncing with her?
"...What is its current level of completion?"
"Hard to say... In terms of compatibility rate, maybe a little over twenty percent?"
"...Twenty percent?"
Had it fallen short of her expectations?
Granted, compared to a fully finished blade, its completion was absolute garbage, so I couldn't blame her for reacting that way. I decided to offer a little defense.
"That one was built to accommodate anyone, but if I tailor a bespoke model specifically for you, it'll be far easier to handle."
"............"
"I only started last month, though, so it'll still take quite a while before it takes proper shape."
With my back turned, I couldn't see her face, but Mercedes remained completely silent, standing frozen before the magic sword.
"...I have stayed long enough. I shall return to my training."
"Don't you want to look over the materials on the sword?"
"No, that was more than enough."
Leaving behind only those words, Mercedes walked out.
A faint smile seemed to play across her profile.
Showing up out of nowhere, only to leave just as abruptly... I couldn't make heads or tails of her.
◇
Aunt Coffey's house was a two-story wooden home located in a residential area of the capital's western district. Apparently, she had struck out on her own after graduating from the academy and bought it right away.
It was built with an adjoining office for her guild, giving it roughly double the floor space of a standard home, and I was allowed to use one of the spare rooms on the second floor.
On weekends, my routine was to return home and have dinner with my aunt. Since I was the one who handled the cooking, this was the one day I had to ensure I was back before sundown.
My aunt loved meat.
As a result, our meals usually revolved around it.
Last time, I had served a stew, so tonight I planned on making steak. I was confident in both my seasoning and heat management.
Lost in those thoughts, I spotted a figure standing in front of my aunt's house. Long crimson hair swayed in the breeze like flames.
"Aun────"
Just as I raised a hand to wave, I realized there were two people.
They were facing each other, deep in conversation.
A woman.
She had a pale blonde bob cut and a slender frame.
And she was wearing the exact same uniform as────
"Philie-san?"
"...Walker... kun...?"
Seeing me holding grocery bags, Philie-san's eyes went wide.
What was she doing here?
Before I could ask, my aunt glanced over her shoulder and spotted me.
"Oh, Bren. Welcome home."
"I'm back."
"We have a guest. Greet her."
A guest?
Did that mean Philie-san had come to hire my aunt for something?
"Hello, Philie-san."
"...W-Why are you at Lord Dreadroll's office, Walker-kun? Did you just say 'I'm back'...?"
"...She's my aunt."
"...I-Is that so? How is that even possible...?"
Well, I was just as surprised.
I never imagined a classmate would show up as a client at my aunt's guild.
"Is she an acquaintance of yours, Bren? Seeing her in a Magias uniform, I had a hunch."
"We're in the same class."
"Oh, my~"
My aunt gave a brief nod, then offered a polite bow toward Philie-san.
"Philie-san. My nephew is always in your care."
"N-Not at all! It is far too gracious of a Great Mage to say such a thing! If anything, I'm the one who is always being hel—ah, no, helped by Walker-kun..."
She stumbled over her words.
I had rarely seen Philie-san lose her composure, but I supposed even she felt intimidated when facing a mage of my aunt's caliber.
"No use standing around out here. Let's head inside to continue."
"I'll go get some tea ready, then."
"Good idea. You sit in on this too, Bren. It's guild business."
"Huh?"
My aunt dropped the remark so casually that I was left standing there in frozen disbelief.