Chapter 33
My quality of life has improved dramatically lately.
The biggest reason is, naturally, that I've started completely dominating the morning battles against the maids.
If I'm forced awake, I end up feeling awful all day, but now I'm getting to sleep in properly.
Of course, I've long since erased the words morning class from my mind.
Still, out of conscience, I was at least attending afternoon classes.
Since I'm an academy student, I should at least do my duty as one.
Come to think of it, Monday's classes had been cut short just for me, and Thursday's classes were canceled for the time being after the talks with Department Head Raymond, right?
In the end, the only class I really had left was the Magitech Department's practical session.
Honestly, lately I've gotten pretty into this practical class.
Tinkering away and making things suits me better than I expected.
I'm full of energy, and since I've been sleeping to my heart's content, I'm in top condition.
Naturally, my brain feels sharp too. Humans really are happiest when they're doing something fun.
At times like this, I need to make something, even if it's only one thing.
“I'll make a prototype this semester, no matter what.”
What I've been focusing on lately is perfecting the iPhone.
Of course, there's still a very long way to go.
There are three keywords.
Miniaturization, mana efficiency, and video.
First, the size.
Based on the results so far, it's closer to a tablet than a phone.
To make it fit comfortably in one hand, I need to shrink the current size by at least half—no, more like by three-quarters.
Mana efficiency is still a problem too.
Even if mass-producing it for ordinary people who can't use magic at all is impossible, I still want it to work without trouble as long as the user has only a low-tier mage's level of mana.
In fact, for my ultimate goal, I needed to reduce the mana required to run it far more than I had now.
The most troublesome problem, and my ultimate goal, was still the implementation of video calls.
At this point, it was still nothing more than a phone that could only do voice calls.
I had no clue at all how I was supposed to display video.
If I could somehow apply the projection method used in illusion magic...
But once I actually tried it, there were so many problems. Video clarity, real-time processing speed, and so on.
Days passed with me scratching my head in frustration and letting out one long sigh after another.
Still, the reason this troublesome project was somehow continuing to move forward was entirely thanks to Senior Estelle.
Whenever I hit a wall, she'd always suggest a creative idea.
-Hmm~ Luna, how about twisting the circuit in this part like this?
-Theoretically, that seems a little questionable... Huh? Why does this work?
-You could call it a hack that's not in the textbook... Ahaha~ Don't tell the professor I taught you this, okay?
-Wait, if I layer the magic circle you told me about on top of that circuit, won't the efficiency go up by about 30%?
-...
Come to think of it, Senior Estelle really was the real deal—a genuine magitech engineer.
The mana circuit I had forced together using rigid magic theory and telekinetic magic became a much cleaner circuit once she got involved.
I'm really glad.
Later, I'll have to sweet-talk her, and after somehow reforming her, I'll make her stay at the academy.
And then I'll have to lock her away somewhere so she'll do nothing but make magic tools based on modern conveniences all day.
While I was working away and thinking silly thoughts, I suddenly lifted my head.
...Huh?
Before I knew it, the lab was empty except for me.
The sunset was glowing outside the window.
It looked like all the other students had already gone home a long time ago.
If they were leaving, they could've taken me with them too.
...Or was it that I was too focused and just didn't hear them?
I packed up my things and yawned lazily.
Come to think of it, academy life lately has been surprisingly smooth.
No, smooth is an understatement—it's downright boring.
The magic-crazed people who used to trail after me like stalkers stopped bothering me after they got into a gloriously satisfying public duel with Department Head Raymond.
Senior Miriel also hadn't once come looking for me separately since the day we first met. Did Her Highness really take my lie that I wouldn't do anything at face value?
Honestly, I was getting a little bored.
...What are you talking about? This is how it should've been from the start.
I smacked my own cheeks with both hands.
Come to think of it, there was still more than half a year left before the original story's main plot began.
Come to think of it, it would actually be weird if something special happened every single day.
A leisurely, peaceful stretch that had come at last.
It would be a waste to spend it fretting over nothing.
*
Midterm exam period had arrived at Elterion Academy.
For most students, it would be a time of despair, but for me it was basically a festival.
Unbelievably... there were no classes...!!
Of course, I still had to leave the classroom at the designated times to take the exams.
-Students, the general education theory exam is ultimately a battle of stamina. It's hard to stay focused for three straight days...
-Excuse me, assistant.
-Yes, what is it? Are you going to go eat and come back?
-No, I've finished everything.
-??!?!
-May I submit and leave? Haaam...
As long as I solved all the designated exam questions, I could head straight back to the dorm, so in practice I could laze around all day.
Of course, if I stayed in my room too much, I'd start feeling a little bad for the maids, so I needed to move around from time to time.
Mm... is this really supposed to be happening like this...?
Inside the old library used as the clubroom for the Paranormal Research Society.
I stared at Claire, who was clutching her head and groaning in front of her desk, and let out a lazy yawn.
With her brows knitted tightly and her lips pursed, she was awfully cute.
Claire, you got the last line and the formula above it wrong. Your calculation's off.
Huh? Really? I thought this was right...
Anyway, it's wrong. Ah, looking at it now, even the hypothesis on the second line from the top is wrong. Do it again.
I rested my head on my arm and waved my hand dismissively.
Claire stared at the paper with an untrusting expression, then soon froze with a look of utter shock.
...Huh. It's all wrong? Lunaris, how can you tell just by glancing at it?
Because it sticks out at me when I look at it.
If you asked me to explain the principle, I wouldn't know either. I had just guessed and said something plausible.
By the way, the clubroom is quiet.
Yeah. It's boring without President Sylvia here, isn't it?
Boring? I love it.
Unlike the lower-year students who remained on campus and took exams centered on written tests and duels...
the third- and fourth-year students seemed to take their exams outside the academy.
Naturally, the department heads and other key staff from the academy went along with them.
I guess it's more dangerous outside the academy than inside, so they have to be careful.
The academy is awfully quiet during midterm period.
This kind of atmosphere is exactly the one I like best.
By the way, Lunaris, you aren't even going to study for the exams, so why did you come here?
At Claire's innocent question, I answered with a serious expression.
Today is Friday the 13th, the most ominous day of all, and this place is a sanctuary.
U, uh...? What does that mean?
If you stay in Linea Hall on a day like today, you'll get 'maid-corrupted.'
...What kind of thing is that?
Anyway, that sort of thing exists.
Claire let out a long sigh full of envy.
Haa, maid corruption or whatever, I don't care—I want to go into Linea Hall too.
Do your best. I think you could easily place first in the Magic Department.
Th-thanks for the encouragement, but could you make it a little more realistic? Even so, first place is...
I let out a dry laugh at Claire, who burst out laughing in disbelief, and replied flatly.
Why, looking at the current top student, there doesn't seem to be anything special. They're all the same to me.
That's only how it looks to you, Lunaris.
Claire grumbled for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject.
Oh! Speaking of Linea Hall, I heard it's been shaking lately like there was an earthquake or something. Did you feel it too?
What, so I wasn't the only one who felt that?
At that, I immediately sat up straighter.
Yeah. It does shake a little every morning before dawn.
Isn't that because you keep fighting the maids every morning and the building's foundation has gotten weak?
Claire stared at me with a meaningful look.
I waved my hands around and started making excuses.
Oh, come on. There's no way something that small could weaken the foundation of such a huge building.
...No, wait.
With my magic... could it really be that much?
Anyway, take it easy when you do it.
Don't go too far. They're all people who are working hard, after all.
Thinking about it again carefully, something felt odd.
Since I started using natural mana lately, my mana hadn't gone berserk once.
The problem of Linea Hall shaking seemed like a different issue...
*
By the time the sun was setting, I left the clubroom with Claire before it got any later.
When we reached the front of the Linea Hall dormitory, Claire suddenly clenched her fist and burned with determination.
“All right, motivation top-up for today complete. Once I get back to Sepia Hall, I'll study a little more and then go to sleep.”
“Mm. Do your best.”
The very moment I offered encouragement in a sleepy voice.
-Kugugugugung!!
Suddenly, the ground started shaking.
A rumble so violent it made the whole building shake.
...
...
Claire and I froze in place as if we had been turned to stone, staring at each other.
This... doesn't seem like just a simple earthquake.
“Lu, Lunaris... it feels like something exploded, right?!”
“Haa, seriously...”
Just when I thought things had been quiet lately and nothing had been happening...!
Even while I was grumbling out loud.
My feet were already sprinting toward Linea Hall at full speed with Claire.