Volume 1: Enrollment at Magias Academy of Magical Arts

Chapter 24.1: In Other Words, Filiestra Is…

Seventy-six hours.

That was how long I had remained awake and kept working.

“…………”

Nearly two weeks had passed since the attack.

By now, most of the Magias buildings had been restored, and the academy was gradually returning to its former state.

Naturally, that did not mean nothing had happened in the meantime.

News guilds visited day after day. Students’ parents demanded accountability. The military police questioned witnesses. Many things had changed since before the attack. Magias was overcoming them one by one and reclaiming its everyday life.

At present, I was so excited that none of it mattered to me.

“…………”

I hadn’t slept in a long time, yet my mind remained perfectly clear.

Several days ago, while I was using Filiestra’s magic sword as a clue and working on a new creation, I had suddenly uncovered a new fact. I had devoted myself to research ever since.

It was a clue to a mystery that had plagued me for years:

Why could no one else use my magic swords?

And now, at this very moment, I was close to solving it.

“…I see!”

My chair toppled over as I shot to my feet.

Once I ran the calculations, the answer was simple.

Without realizing it, I had been creating my magic swords to match my own body.

That had been the source of every mistake.

Because my magic swords were based on the physical structure of “the artificial human Brendan Walker,” their wavelengths did not match those of ordinary humans.

As my research progressed, the outlines of that hypothesis were becoming increasingly clear.

I had discovered the truth only by chance, because Filiestra proved compatible with one of my swords. It was like working backward after being shown the answer. If I had never met her, I might have gone my entire life without noticing. A difference no wider than a single strand of hair had thrown everything out of alignment.

Just then, I sensed someone near the exit.

When I turned, I saw Mercedes peering through the slightly open sliding door.

“O-Oh. Mercedes. Did you need something?”

“…I had a message for you. Did something good happen?”

“Yeah, actually—”

I stopped before finishing.

I still didn’t have all the results.

It would be wiser to wait a little longer before telling Mercedes, rather than getting her hopes up for nothing.

“N-No, never mind. It’s nothing.”

“Truly? You look remarkably happy for someone with nothing to report.”

“Well, never mind,” Mercedes continued.

“Addison was looking for you. Didn’t you promise her something?”

Oh, right. I needed to help Filiestra with her research too. My part-time job at Aunt Coffey’s guild would also begin soon. Once my present research reached a good stopping point, I should probably suspend my work on magic swords for a while.

“One more thing, Walker. Enthusiasm is admirable, but don’t overdo it. Resting your body is part of your work.”

“Y-Yeah… I’ll stop and rest today.”

“See that you do. Well then, I look forward to my magic sword.”

With only that, Mercedes left.

Judging by her response, perhaps my reaction had revealed that I’d made progress. Maybe she had realized the results weren’t final and played along with me.

…I would rest after checking just one more thing.

With that thought, I set down my pen and reviewed the research materials again.

I was right.

The problem lay in the waveform of my magic.

In other words, my magical nature differed from that of ordinary people, creating a synchronization defect. I was probably the only person in the world who had ever noticed this.

“Relax. You’re not much different from an ordinary human.”

Only now did Grandpa’s dying words return to my mind.

Perhaps that had been his final clue. Though if he had known, he should have simply told me.

The differences in question had only a negligible effect on magic and health, so an ordinary medical examination would never uncover them.

You would need a detailed examination at a major hospital or research institution.

I myself had only just learned here that magical waveforms differed from person to person. This was a truth I could discover only because I had come to an academic institution like Magias and met Filiestra.

I had advanced only a single step, but if I investigated further, I might genuinely be able to forge magic swords that anyone could use.

And I had uncovered one other fact.

It explained why Filiestra could use the artificial-human-based magic sword I had created unconsciously.

In other words…

Filiestra was also an artificial human like me.

She had synchronized so easily with my magic sword precisely because her magical waveform was almost identical to mine.

“Ha ha. So that’s it. It’s simple! Such a simple answer… Ha… Ha ha… Ha…………”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“……………………What…?”

Continued in Volume 2: The Temucha Region—Aunt in Flames