Chapter 91
"Leon... Huh? I've heard the name Leon before... C-could you be that Leon!?"
Which Leon is he talking about?
"I'm not sure which Leon you mean."
"L-Leon, you're a commoner, right?"
"Yes, I am..."
"Do you know Marcel?"
Huh? Marcel-san? Rongo-sensei knows Marcel-san!?
"You know Marcel-san, Rongo-sensei!?"
"So you do know him... Then you must be..."
Having said that, Rongo-sensei furrowed his brow, looking slightly troubled. He seemed to be worrying over something.
What could it be? Hmm, could Rongo-sensei know that I made the new magic item? If he's quite close to Marcel-san, maybe Marcel-san asked him for help.
If so, maybe he's wondering whether he can tell me about it?
Martine knew I'd made the magic items, and Stephan probably did too. I told Richard-sama as well, so perhaps Lucien knows too? Well, even if he doesn't, there's no harm in telling him. All three of them know I have all attributes, after all.
But did Rongo-sensei really know? Marcel-san seemed like he'd do his best to keep it secret. Even so, it was possible he'd noticed despite Marcel-san's efforts to keep it hidden.
Looking back, making that magic item had been incredibly risky. At the time, I was so focused on making money that I hadn't thought about the consequences... I might have caused Marcel-san a tremendous amount of trouble.
"Did you hear about me from Marcel-san, Rongo-sensei?"
"No. Marcel and I have known each other for a long time. When I heard that he was developing one new magic item after another, I went to see him myself. I wanted to know how he could develop so many new magic items."
So there really are people who figure it out... Marcel-san, I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble!
"Marcel said it was because he had his own workshop where he could focus on his research, but I couldn't believe that alone was enough to achieve results like that. Marcel didn't have that kind of genius-level talent. Neither did I. So I did some investigating and discovered that a commoner named Leon had been coming and going from his workshop around the time that magic item was developed."
So that's how people could find out... I really had been careless. I wonder if anyone else knows too? This is terrifying.
But even if people figured out that much, few would think I was the one who developed the magic items. Besides, they shouldn't be able to deduce that I have all attributes. Apparently, some people who develop magic items also develop items for attributes other than their own. Though almost none of those attempts have succeeded.
"So I pressed Marcel, asking whether he'd been able to develop the magic items thanks to a commoner named Leon. In response, Marcel bragged to me about you."
Huh? He bragged about me!?
"He said your ingenuity was amazing. He told me that your ingenuity had helped him come up with new magic items. I've wanted to meet you in person for some time!! I never imagined you were here at the Royal Academy. And you're clearly intelligent, too! Wonderful! Would you give me some advice as well!?"
So that's the story he told him... Thank you so much, Marcel-san.
"Yes. If I can be of help to you, I'd be glad to, Rongo-sensei. However, I don't think the advice I gave Marcel-san was all that effective..."
"That's not true! You helped develop magic items as wonderful as those! The ice maker and the fire magic item are both magnificent!"
Rongo-sensei's excitement kept rising. Everyone else was being left behind...
"Rongo-sensei, please calm down a little."
"Oh... I sincerely apologize. I got carried away because I finally met someone I've wanted to meet for so long."
Rongo-sensei apologized to Stephan and the others.
"You don't need to worry about us. It's clear how seriously you study magic items, Rongo-sensei. More importantly, will you allow us to join the club?"
"Of course."
Wow, this time we were accepted without a fuss. That's great. Now I could research magic items, and I was kind of looking forward to it.
I couldn't reveal that I had all attributes, but I could still make things like magic items that used healing magic or improve existing magic items!
"Thank you. In that case, may we participate in the club's activities starting today?"
"That would be fine, but... The Magic Item Research Club basically operates on an individual basis, with members only discussing things when there is something to discuss. So there aren't really any activities, strictly speaking. Students who belong to the club may use the clubroom whenever they wish."
That takes the pressure off. So we can work freely?
"If you think of something and would like to use magic stones or magic iron, just let me know, and I will provide you with as much as you need. Once you have completed it, bring the finished item to me. If you would like to improve a magic item, let me know as well, and I will lend you a magic item for research."
Wow! We could use magic stones and magic iron too? That was amazing!
What should I research? An item that used healing magic sounded good, but I really wanted to improve existing magic items. I absolutely had to add a switch function.
"What kind of research are you planning to conduct?"
At Rongo-sensei's question, Stephan, Martine, and Lucien all looked at me.
Uh... Am I supposed to answer? Well, I guess I was. They were joining because I was joining the Magic Item Research Club, after all.
"We'd like to focus primarily on improving magic items. We may think about developing new ones too, but first, we'd like to improve existing magic items."
When I said that, Rongo-sensei's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward.
"What kind of improvements are you considering? Do you have any ideas yet?"
"Yes. I've given it some thought. I'd like to add a switch function to magic items."
"A switch...? What is that?"
Oh... Had the translation failed this time? Was there no such concept as a switch here?
"Um, with current magic items, once you attach a magic stone, the magic continues to activate, right? I'd like to make it possible to turn the magic on and off while leaving the magic stone in place. If that's too difficult, I'd at least like to make removing the magic stone a little easier. It must be a hassle to remove it every time."
"That...! I never thought of that improvement before! If you could make it a reality, it would be a magnificent achievement!"
"I-is that so...?"
Rongo-sensei's excitement was getting out of hand... Sensei, you're way too excited!!
"Why don't we start working on that improvement right now!"
"W-wait a moment. Before that, couldn't you introduce us to the senior members?"
"That's true... In that case, while I show you around the clubroom, I will introduce you to the two students who belong to the Magic Item Research Club."
Rongo-sensei turned to Stephan and the others as he said this. He was getting pretty carried away, so there probably wasn't much point in using polite speech with them. Still, I suppose appearances mattered.
"Would it be all right if we went to the research building right away?"
"Yes, please."
"Certainly. Then I'll show you the way."
With that, Rongo-sensei put several magic items in his bag and left the room. He was clearly eager to discuss the improvements in the clubroom.