Solria, Middle District, Irisveil Mansion (Aria POV)

The sound of my steady footsteps softly echoed around the empty street as I stared blankly at the ground in front of me while walking home. My surroundings were tinted a light purple from the beautiful sunset behind me and a gentle breeze blew by, cooling down my head a bit as I let out a faint sigh before falling a little deeper into my own thoughts. It was just another lazy, peaceful evening with nothing to do except go home for dinner, but I had to admit, I was a bit sentimental right now.

A while ago, Halbert came into my office to talk to me. When he showed up, I was still a bit flustered from my chat with Lillian, but I snapped out of it once I saw the serious look on his face. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but before I could even say a word to him, he fell to his knees to ask me for a favor

He asked me to help him get stronger.

At first, I was confused. After all, I was already training him, and as far as I knew, there wasn’t any emergency concerning the demon lord so there wasn’t any rush to get stronger, but despite that, I could hear the desperation in his voice as he quietly begged me for my help. So I asked him why he was in such a hurry.

I was worried that something had happened with the demon lord, but Halbert’s answer was unexpected. It wasn’t complicated, or even related to the demon lord. All he said was a few words.

‘I finally realized that I have people I can’t afford to lose.’

That was it. And yet, that was all he needed. That alone was more than reason enough, and I knew that better than anyone because back in Delhurst, no, even now…

I placed my hand over my heart and closed my eyes before quietly whispering to myself.

“... I also have someone I can’t afford to lose… Someone who’s irreplaceable…” (Aria)

The back of a familiar, white-haired figure emerged in my mind. And a moment passed before that figure turned around to face me. A pair of soft, golden eyes met mine and the figure smiled tenderly at me as I felt a faint warmth spread through me.

… He’s an idiot sometimes, he’s lazy sometimes, and well, he’s dense a lot of the time, but in the end, he’s still…

"... my one and only partner, isn’t he?..." (Aria)

The edges of my mouth couldn’t help but curve upwards into a gentle smile as I opened my eyes again to see that I was already standing in front of the mansion. The gate creaked a bit as I entered, but I just ignored it and walked up to the front door. Then, I opened it. And my voice rang out as I entered the house.

"Ky, I'm home." (Aria)

The delicious aroma of food filled the house along with sizzling sounds from the kitchen as I saw Ky pop his head out from the kitchen entrance.

“Oh, welcome back. In fact, perfect timing. Dinner’s almost ready.” (Kyle)

I took off my shoes and put them down on the side as he walked out of the kitchen with his spatula in hand.

“Alright, what’s for dinner today?” (Aria)

I giggled at Ky before getting up with a smile.

Well, looks like I’m pretty lucky. My irreplaceable person is right here, isn’t he? Always by my side, no matter what happens.

“Oh. Right, speaking of which, sorry. It’s a bit sudden, but unfortunately, I’ll be gone for most of the next two weeks.” (Kyle)

Eh?

“Wait! Gone!? What do you mean!?” (Aria)

I immediately ran over and grabbed Ky by his arm as he explained everything to me.

“Well, long story short, I’m on break for the next two weeks, but my students asked me to help train them for the academy tournament coming up, so I’ll be conducting a training camp for them over the break. Oh, but don’t worry. I’ve already prepared everything for you, so you’ll have no problem even if I’m gone for a bit. There are enough meals to last a whole week in the fridge, and I’m sure you’re at least competent enough to reheat them by yourself. Even if you overcook it a little, it should still taste relatively ok. As for the house... well, there’s no way it can get too dirty while I’m gone, right?... Actually, wait. Let me correct myself. As long as it’s someone like you who’s reasonable and capable of cleaning up after herself, there’s no way the house can get that dirty... Ahem. Anyway, it’s only two weeks, and I’ll be back next weekend to check up on everything and make more food for you so I’m sure you’ll be fine. Now come on, let’s eat dinner before it gets cold.” (Kyle)

Ky finished his explanation and patted me on the head before walking back to the kitchen as I fell to my knees with a defeated look on my face.

What happened to staying by my side!?

Royal Academy, Front Gate (Kyle POV)

It was another beautiful autumn day. The sun was shining in the sky, and a gentle breeze blew by as I walked over to the front gate of the Royal Academy to meet up with Regnis and Sophie. There were still some students training here and there, and as expected, the training fields were just as busy as yesterday, but that didn’t matter because today we were going to take a trip to an adventurer town a little south of the capital.

“Hey! Regnis! Sophie! Over here!” (Kyle)

I spotted Regnis and Sophie standing near the gate and I called out to them while waving to get their attention. They both had backpacks on and were holding their spear and gun respectively as they waved back at me, and I ran over before asking them if they had everything they needed.

“Did you two bring everything I asked you to?” (Kyle)

“Yes, but are you sure this is all we’ll need?” (Regnis)

“Yeah, just a week’s worth of clothes, a tent and sleeping bag, and our weapons seems like it might be a little lacking.” (Sophie)

“Don’t worry, you have a seasoned adventurer with you who has more than enough supplies on him.” (Kyle)

I smiled at Regnis and Sophie before pointing at the large backpack I was wearing. It was filled with my old adventuring equipment that I used when Aria and I were still running around in Delhurst, along with some special supplies for the training camp, and I even felt a bit nostalgic as I heard the rattle of my cooking utensils inside, but unfortunately, despite my enthusiasm, Regnis and Sophie still looked a little worried.

“Well, even if our supplies are a bit light, I’m sure we’ll be fine. After all, we’ll be near a town too. And it’s not like we’re going to be gone for two weeks straight. We’ll be back in the capital for the weekend to restock on supplies. But anyway, before we set out, I’d like to drop by somewhere first.” (Kyle)

“Eh? Where?” (Sophie)

“A blacksmith. After all, we need to get some new weapons made for you two.” (Kyle)

“Wait. New weapons?” (Regnis)

Regnis and Sophie stared at me with confused looks on their faces as I nodded to them.

“Yep. Well, actually, Regnis, you might be fine with your spear, but the main problem here is with your gun, Sophie.” (Kyle)

“My gun? What do you mean?” (Sophie)

“Well, the gun you have is a rifle, which, unfortunately, is not optimal for the one on one combat that you’ll be experiencing in the tournament. A rifle is more suited to long range, team-based combat, where you’ll have someone to distract the enemy for you while you attack them from afar, but in the tournament, you’re probably going to be restricted to just a small area with only you and your opponent.” (Kyle)

Sophie stared at her gun for a moment before looking back up at me with a concerned frown.

"Then what will I fight with? I haven’t really used anything other than a gun.” (Sophie)

“Wait. Who said you need to change weapons?” (Kyle)

“You did! You just said my gun isn’t good for one on one combat, so I’m changing to a new weapon, right!?” (Sophie)

Sophie yelled at me as I scratched the back of my head sheepishly before replying.

“Well, just because your particular type of gun isn’t the most suitable, doesn’t mean you need to stop using guns entirely.” (Kyle)

“What are we going to do then?” (Sophie)

Sophie crossed her arms and pouted angrily before I dramatically pointed at her with a proud smile on my face.

“Simple. If your current gun isn’t optimal, then we’ll just have to design a new one for you.” (Kyle)

As I mentioned my plan, I could see the curiosity light up in her eyes before she begrudgingly replied with a slightly excited tone.

“Design a new one?” (Sophie)

“Yeah. You said before that your gun was the latest in the Empire’s alchemical technology, right? Well, then we’ll just have to make another advancement! In fact, I already have a design in mind, and I refuse to believe that with our combined understanding of alchemy that we can’t at least create a functional prototype! But before that, we’ll need to have the physical frame for the gun made first, so we’re going to head over to a blacksmith to put the order in right now. That way it should be done by next weekend when we get back. And since we’re going to a blacksmith anyway, I thought why not have something made for Regnis too.” (Kyle)

I turned towards Regnis as he stared at his spear for a moment.

“So Regnis, would you like a new spear?” (Kyle)

“I think I’ll be fine with this one. It’s a little… special to me, so I don’t want to replace it.” (Regnis)

“Hmm, how about some new armor then?” (Kyle)

“My armor’s still in good condition too, so honestly, I don’t think I need anything. Thanks for the offer though.” (Regnis)

“Alright, suit yourself.” (Kyle)

I shrugged before gesturing for Regnis and Sophie to follow me.

“Ok, let’s get going then.” (Kyle)

Solria, Shopping District (Sophie POV)

The hustle and bustle of the capital’s shopping district surrounded me as Regnis and I followed behind Professor Kyle. Indistinct chatter from countless people was only drowned out by the sound of several carriages running through the streets, and I glanced around as my sense of excitement only grew stronger. Our small group of three squeezed our way through the crowds of people before finally, we arrived in front of what seemed to be a small blacksmith’s shop on the side of the street. A wooden sign above the entrance read ‘The Ironclad Forge,’ and Professor Kyle stopped in his tracks before barging in through the front door.

Inside the quaint looking shop there was a large counter directly in front of us, while a variety of weapons and armor lined the walls. Behind the counter was a brown-haired boy with a pair of goggles on his head. He looked a little younger than us, and when he noticed that we entered, he called out to Professor Kyle with a friendly tone in his voice.

“Oh. Hey, Ky. Welcome back.”

“Hey, Lucas. How are you?” (Kyle)

Professor Kyle waved at the boy, who waved back before answering.

“I’m doing great.”

“Where’s Uncle Grayhill?” (Kyle)

“Well, he’s out on a delivery, so I’m stuck watching the shop by myself for now.”

The boy laughed and exchanged some small talk with Professor Kyle before finally turning to me and Regnis with a curious look on his face.

“By the way, Ky, who are they?”

“They’re my students.” (Kyle)

Professor Kyle pointed to us with a grin before Lucas readjusted the pair of goggles on his head and smiled at us as Regnis and I introduced ourselves.

“Nice to meet you. The name’s Lucas. What are your names?” (Lucas)

“Regnis.” (Regnis)

“I’m Sophie.” (Sophie)

“Well, welcome to The Ironclad Forge. The best smithy in the capital!” (Lucas)

Lucas smiled proudly and gave us a thumbs up before turning back to Professor Kyle.

“So, did you need another sword or something, Ky?” (Lucas)

“Nope. I have to give my respect to Uncle Grayhill. That sword survived a lot more abuse than I thought it would, though it’s currently sitting in my room collecting dust.” (Kyle)

Professor Kyle let out a dry laugh before changing the topic of the conversation.

“Anyway, I’m actually here today to commission something for one of my students.” (Kyle)

“Eh? What do you need us to make? A spear? Or, uh...” (Lucas)

Lucas stared at my gun for a moment with a confused look on his face before Professor Kyle spoke again.

“Umm, well, it’s a little hard to explain... I think just drawing the blueprints and showing you would be easier, so could I borrow a pen and some paper?” (Kyle)

“Sure. Give me a second.” (Lucas)

Lucas ducked behind the counter before pulling out a pen and a piece of paper.

“Here you go.” (Lucas)

“Thanks, Lucas. Just give me a second.” (Kyle)

Then Professor Kyle turned to me with a serious look on his face.

“Sophie, can I see your gun for a moment? I need to figure out how the alchemy circles in it work before I can implement them into the new design.” (Kyle)

“Eh? Sure. Here. The alchemy circles are right under the panel on the side.” (Sophie)

I handed my gun over to Professor Kyle and a moment passed by as he just stared at it intently from a few different angles before nodding to himself.

“Hmm. Just as I expected…” (Kyle)

What!? Did he already figure out how it works!? But he didn’t even see the circles yet! Could it be? Is his intuition as an expert alchemist just that good?

I stared at Professor Kyle in shock and was about to ask him how he could tell how my gun functioned when suddenly, the serious look on Professor Kyle’s face disappeared and he cleared his throat with an embarrassed look on his face before sheepishly handing my gun back to me with a dry laugh.

“Ahem. I have no idea how to open this thing...” (Kyle)

I stood there for a moment at a loss for words as the realization that he just had no idea what he was doing shattered my previous sense of awe like a rock going through a window. Eventually, I let out a sigh and took my gun back before opening up the panel for him. Underneath the tube where the bullets were fired out, there was a long panel with decorative designs on it that opened up to reveal ten complex alchemy circles etched into the metal of the gun with enchanted ink, and I held the gun up to show them to Professor Kyle before starting to explain how each of the alchemy circles worked.

***

A few minutes later, Professor Kyle pointed to the first alchemy circle that had a line drawn to connect it to the slot where monster cores were loaded.

“Alright, I think I sort of get it now. So when the trigger is pulled, it activates this first circle, which draws out mana from the inserted monster core and channels it to the second circle, which then compresses most of it into the shape of a small sphere. If the mana from the monster core has an element, then one of the next six circles activates depending on what element the mana is and converts the rest of the uncompressed mana into non-elemental mana so that it can power the ninth circle, which launches the sphere at a high speed.” (Kyle)

“Yep. And the tenth alchemy circle is there as a safety switch. The mana flow is in the opposite direction so it can immediately cancel out the process in case anything goes wrong with one of the previous circles, and thanks to the enchanted ink’s high mana attunement level, the whole system flows lightning fast and as smooth as butter.” (Sophie)

“I see.” (Kyle)

“Wait, stop. My head hurts.” (Regnis)

“Uh, well, it sounds pretty cool…” (Lucas)

Regnis rubbed his temples with a defeated look on his face while Lucas gave me a dry chuckle after I finished explaining the function of the last circle with a satisfied smile.

“Well, I understand the basic idea behind each part of the system…” (Kyle)

Professor Kyle held his chin and frowned slightly before immediately throwing his arms out in frustration and yelling at the ceiling.

“... but why the hell are the circles so stupidly complex!? All it does is fire a ball of mana out of a tube, doesn’t it!?” (Kyle)

“Of course they’re complex. Every circle has an incredibly specific function and it’s all part of a larger system where even a small mistake would result in total failure, so everything has to run perfectly.” (Sophie)

“Urgh, fine. Then looks like I’ll have to change the new design a bit to compensate for the room that the alchemy circles will take. Umm, I guess I can make some extra room on the barrel, though it’ll be a bit heavier…” (Kyle)

Professor Kyle let out a sigh and began to mutter to himself as he turned around and started drawing on the paper Lucas gave him earlier.

“... Ah. Wait, can’t I just condense the system a little?... Right, I can just use that one circle… but is it compatible with modern alchemy?… Actually, I should leave enough room for the whole system anyway in case it doesn’t mesh too well with my alchemy… Eh. worst comes to worst, I guess we’ll just have to put the alchemy circles for the extra features on the handle or something...” (Kyle)

A few more minutes passed as I watched Professor Kyle sketch out a strange shape before holding it up and turning around to show the new design off to me and Regnis.

“Alright, Sophie. Here’s the new design for your gun.” (Kyle)

The new design still had a vaguely similar shape to my gun, but the main body of the gun was considerably shorter. It was basically a long rectangular box about twice the length of the handle, and the actual tube to fire the bullets was on the upper half of the box whereas the lower end reached down past the trigger and merged with the trigger guard. The angle that the handle came off of the main body of the gun was also a bit different, with it being almost at a right angle, but the slot to insert monster cores was still above the trigger.

It looked quite strange compared to my current gun, but an exciting sense of curiosity welled up inside of me again as I stared at the new design.

“So you know how I said before that your rifle wasn’t very good for direct one on one combat?” (Kyle)

“Yeah.” (Sophie)

“Well, this type of gun is called a handgun, and it’s much more effective in a one on one situation. It’s smaller and lighter, which makes it easier to carry and handle compared to a longer gun like your rifle. It also only requires a single hand to use, which means you can wield two of them at the same time. I tried to make this design focus more on mobility and skill, but don’t worry, I didn’t forget about firepower. In fact, if everything goes according to plan, then theoretically, the new alchemy system will have an even higher potential output than the one in your rifle.” (Kyle)

“Eh? A higher potential output?” (Sophie)

“Yep. We’ll need to do some testing first with the new system, but that can come after we have the physical prototype in our hands.” (Kyle)

An excited spark lit up in my eyes again as Professor Kyle nodded to himself before handing the blueprint over to Lucas.

“The shape might be a little strange, but I’m sure you and Uncle Grayhill are skilled enough to handle it.” (Kyle)

“Hmm, well, it doesn’t look impossible at least.” (Lucas)

Lucas picked up the blueprint for my new gun and inspected it for a moment before turning back to Professor Kyle.

“So what should we make them out of?” (Lucas)

“Uh, I guess just steel would be fine. How long do you think it’ll take to make two of these?” (Kyle)

“I can’t be completely sure, but... I think we can probably finish it in a few days.” (Lucas)

“Perfect! I’ll be back this weekend to pick them up then. How much do I owe you?” (Kyle)

“Umm, well… taking into account the material costs and… wait, what would be the cost of labor for something like this… Argh. Whatever, I’ll just put it on your tab when I figure out the final price.” (Lucas)

Lucas let out a defeated sigh as Professor Kyle thanked him.

“Thanks, Lucas! Tell Uncle Grayhill I said thanks too!” (Kyle)

“Sure, no problem. See you later, Ky.” (Lucas)

Lucas waved goodbye to Professor Kyle as the three of us finally left the shop. The sun was still shining bright and the noisy atmosphere of the shopping district enveloped us again, but somehow, the sound of Professor Kyle’s voice was still crystal clear as he turned to stare at the sky for a moment before calling out to me and Regnis with a smile.

“Alright, come on, you two. I already reserved a carriage for us on one of the caravans heading south today, and they should be leaving in about an hour, so let’s get going.” (Kyle)

“Yes, Professor Kyle!” (Sophie & Regnis)

Royal Academy, Headmistress’ Office (Mari POV)

The sound of pages being flipped was the only thing that broke the silence in my office as I sat there with a strange sight in front of me. Bowing to me in the middle of my office was one of the students from Ky’s class, Zane, but instead of his usual carefree appearance, this time, he held a long, metal staff in his hands and was wearing light training attire with the Church of Light’s symbol on it. A few moments passed, but he still didn’t say a word. All he did was stay there, frozen like he was a statue until finally, I let out a sigh and stopped filling out my paperwork before speaking to him.

“So before we start, would you mind telling me exactly who you are?” (Mari)

My voice had a tinge of coldness to it as it rang out, and after another moment, Zane responded quietly.

“... So, they really didn’t tell you anything, huh?...” (Zane)

“No, they didn’t.” (Mari)

He took a deep breath before raising his head again while I continued to speak.

“His majesty only requested that I teach you magic, and there was that high priestess from the Church of Light too, but she didn’t tell me anything that I couldn’t already figure out on my own. All she said was that I would be doing a great favor for the Church of Light by taking you under my wing and that you were someone extremely important, but I think the latter was obvious enough considering the fact that you managed to get a high priestess and even the Emperor himself to move on your behalf.” (Mari)

I sat there with my arms crossed after finishing my little recap of what happened last night, and silence pervaded the room again as Zane grit his teeth before lowering his head a bit to stare at the ground.

“Is your identity something I can’t know?” (Mari)

“... No… even if it’s something I’ve been given... it’s still mine... and I have the right to decide who I tell…” (Zane)

Zane raised his head again, but this time there was an unexpected determination burning in his eyes. His sight was unwavering as he stared straight at me, and my eyes sharpened in return as I spoke again.

“Then, let me ask again. Who are you?” (Mari)

“I’m… a fated ally for the God of Light’s chosen hero...” (Zane)

“What? The God of Light’s chosen hero?” (Mari)

“Yes, hero... I know this might be a bit much to take in right now, but… according to the God of Fate, a new demon lord will soon descend upon this world again... and the ones destined to defeat him are the hero along with his fated allies. I’m… one of those fated allies… ” (Zane)

Zane had a bitter smile on his face as he explained everything to me, but I just stared back at him like he was a crazy person.

“... You don’t believe me, do you?” (Zane)

“No, I don’t.” (Mari)

“Well, sorry, but if you’re looking for proof, then this is all I have...” (Zane)

Zane held his staff out.

“This was the sacred weapon that his highness, the God of Light gave me when I was chosen as one of the hero’s fated allies...” (Zane)

His grip on the staff tightened a bit as I reached out towards him. Then he let go completely, and it dropped into my hand.

The simple looking staff was unexpectedly light. It felt more like it was made of wood, yet it was still cold to the touch and shone with a shiny, silverish gleam just like metal. A few decorative patterns were etched along the whole length of the staff, and I inspected them for a moment before raising my head again with a skeptical look in my eyes.

“How exactly is this a sacred weapon? It just looks like a fancy metal stick to me.” (Mari)

“I’ll be honest with you, Headmistress Sylfey, even to me, it just looks like a fancy metal stick, but… I swear on my life that it’s a sacred weapon. When his highness handed it to me, he told me that there was a power hidden in the staff and I would only understand how to use it when the time came for me to. It’s just... that time hasn’t come yet... so, I have no idea how to use it. All I can say right now is please, believe me.” (Zane)

Zane bowed deeply again as his voice quieted down, almost to a whisper.

“... I need your help to get stronger…” (Zane)

He was silent again after that, and I could even see him trembling a little as he stood there bowing.

Should I believe him?... Well, he doesn’t seem like he’s lying, but it’s all a bit ridiculous, isn’t it? And even if what he’s saying really is true, I’m not too keen on venturing into the territory of heroes and demon lords…

I stared at him for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“You said this staff was your only proof, right? Fine, then let’s put that claim to the test.” (Mari)

Zane stopped bowing as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. A surge of mana burst out from within me, and it flowed into my right hand as I condensed it before delicately controlling it, almost like a thread. My mana swirled around in my palm, and when I opened my eyes again they were glowing hazily with a light green as the air around the room started converging inward while the sound of paper fluttering in the wind filled the room.

The natural law of wind enveloped my right hand. And then, I touched the staff.

I was honestly expecting nothing to happen, but instead, all of the natural law of wind concentrated in my right hand was instantly absorbed by the staff, and the designs on the staff lit up with the same hazy light green.

The light jingle of a bell echoed out in my mind with an eerie clarity while what looked like an almost spearhead-like shape composed entirely of the natural law of the wind emerged from the tip of the staff. It glowed with a hazy light green too as wind began to rage around it like a small tornado. Then, I heard a strange voice echo in my mind with the same eerie clarity of the bell earlier.

“... You are not the one chosen by the God of Light…”

It sounded like the quiet whisper of a young girl, and after the voice stopped, the sound of a bell echoed out again. The natural law of wind in the staff completely dissipated as everything went back to normal, and silence returned to my office again before Zane ran up to my desk with a shocked expression on his face.

“Headmistress Sylfey! What did you do!? H-How did you activate it!?” (Zane)

“Well... I… just channeled the natural law of wind into it…” (Mari)

“The natural law of wind!? Is that the key!?” (Zane)

Zane started to ramble, but I just sat there for a moment and thought to myself while zoning out the rest of his nonsense in the background.

I’m not the one chosen by the God of Light… That was the voice said, right? Which means…

I came back to my senses before raising my head to see Zane staring intently at his hand while trying to concentrate wind-element mana into it.

"Come on, Zane! Concentrate harder!" (Zane)

… this idiot was telling the truth, wasn’t he?…

I let out a tired sigh and took another moment to think over everything again before cutting Zane off with a calm voice.

“Fine, Zane. I believe you now. And I’ll teach you magic too." (Mari)

"Eh? Really!?" (Zane)

"There's one condition though...” (Mari)

I tossed his staff back to him and he caught it in a panic as I stood up from behind my desk and pointed at him with a stern look on my face.

“... I don’t care if you’re one of the hero’s fated allies, or even the hero himself! If you want to learn magic from me, then you’ll have to follow my orders. No exceptions.” (Mari)

After my declaration, I saw Zane freeze up, but after a moment, he saluted me as the determination from before returned to his eyes.

“Thank you, Headmistress, no, Master Sylfey!” (Zane)