Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Artifact Presentation Ceremony
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That evening, in the Alchemy Club's sub-room. Every member of the Alchemy Club except Arthin had gathered, waiting for him.
The reason was simple. Arthin had called everyone together because the first set of equipment he planned to distribute among them was more or less complete.
"...Big Brother Arthin is really late."
"Yeah~ Maybe it's because the Bronze Dormitory is a bit far?"
And though they outwardly presented themselves as the Alchemy Club, with half the members being Arthin's lovers, Jorba found the current situation—Arthin absent—far from pleasant.
"Ah, would you like some more black tea, Miss Violet? Miss Shaomei?"
"Ah... Thank you, Princess Agnes."
For starters, looking at the awkward atmosphere among the women seated at the central table, it was clear they weren't on bad terms, but fundamentally united only by goodwill toward Arthin. The only ones with any real familiarity were Violet and Shaomei.
"Ah, midterms are coming up soon. I heard villains show up during them too—have you two been preparing for the exams in advance?"
"...I'm training in case some legion commander or familiar appears. I can score points in close combat and real battles, so I think it'll be fine."
"Ah, I see. Training is important too."
In that brief exchange, Jorba felt a suffocating frustration that made his head spin for a moment. Their passive, conversation-killing style wasn't intentional, which made it all the more insidious.
He had expected as much from Shaomei, who preferred to keep her distance from everyone except a select few close friends. And while Agnes was accustomed to conversing with others, she was notably weak when it came to actually getting close to them.
"Ah~ I've been so busy training my magic lately that I've put off studying. Could you maybe help with a study session later?"
"Oh, really? As a senior at the academy—even before considering personal ties—I'd be happy to help you all out, Miss Violet."
Perhaps reading the mood between the two, Violet approached Agnes amiably, and Agnes nodded, naturally accepting the suggestion.
"What do you think? Shaomei, wanna study together too? It'd be nice to band together as girls, right?"
"Hm... Sounds okay. I'm in."
After securing Agnes's firm agreement, Violet turned to Shaomei, who pondered with a somewhat blank expression before nodding.
And then, the silence returned. Jorba was so impressed he felt like doing a somersault. In his mind, Arthin was definitely the culprit behind this awkwardness. If you're bold enough to declare you're building a harem, isn't it a man's job to help the women bond?
On top of this strained vibe, Kaiyen Silversword sat beside him with a sullen face, half-glaring at the three women at the central table. Even Violet couldn't keep the conversation going, too conscious of Kaiyen's gaze.
In the end, until Arthin arrived, Jorba had only two choices.
Either bury himself in the awkwardness or take the lead in the conversation himself.
"Come to think of it, no one's said what Arthin's handing out yet, right? Anyone hear anything?"
As he casually stood up, Jorba pretended to inspect the swords and staves stored in the nearby machines.
"Yeah, he said earlier at the cafe that the staff was for Sister Violet, right?"
Staff, huh? Jorba glanced around and spotted just one. Even to his untrained eye in alchemy, it radiated transcendently powerful magic—a national treasure-level staff any mage would covet.
'That one alone could buy two city-states with change to spare...'
The problem was, aside from the staff, the only standout items were two swords and a single pair of greaves.
"The greaves look like Shaomei's, so the two swords... probably one each for Agnes and Kaiyen?"
At those words, Agnes—who had been elegantly sipping her tea—and Kaiyen—who had been silently glaring at the three women—couldn't help but react. A sword made for her by Arthin. Subtly, the two rose and eyed the blades inside the alchemy device.
The two swords lay facing each other like a married couple.
The one on the left was a sharp smallsword with a golden hilt and a crossguard embedded with jewels inscribed with intricate magical arrays—clear signs of the care Arthin had poured into it for its user. Forged entirely from mithril, its power was imaginable even without seeing it in action.
'...Hehe, Arthin, you didn't have to make something this amazing.'
The sword Agnes currently wore at her waist was Chivalry, a famed blade her big brother, Crown Prince Richard, had gifted her right after his knighting at age fifteen. Alloyed with a touch of mithril, it boasted sharpness and durability beyond ordinary steel—until today, her beloved weapon.
Click.
Agnes slightly loosened the scabbard of her cherished sword of four years from her belt. Where there's a meeting, there's a parting. In her heart, Chivalry—the gift from her big brother—was already destined to be a room ornament.
Meanwhile, the sword on the right was a perfectly balanced longsword. Made with orichalcum—the finest metal dwarves called more valuable than mithril—it exuded the elegance of a noble lady, even in Kaiyen's eyes.
Plus, the magic Arthin had imbued by using the sword itself as a catalyst meant that with just this blade, she could buy time even against a legion commander.
'Arthin’s got pretty good taste... The length suits me too.'
Kaiyen, whose mood had soured from those arrogant girls seducing the innocent Arthin, now suppressed her rising smile. This was enough to forgive Arthin’s recent inattentiveness. She nodded slightly.
Shaomei and Violet had also approached their greaves and staff, admiring their exquisite forms. There's a saying that a craftsman doesn't discriminate against tools, but a true craftsman recognizes value.
'...So where the hell is mine?'
As Jorba subtly scanned for his own item, the sub-room door swung open cheerfully.
"Hey! You all got here early? Did I keep you waiting long?"
**
As I greeted them cheerfully and entered the club sub-room, the guys who'd been standing around hurriedly returned to their seats. Even as I gave them a puzzled look at the awkwardness, no one explained what had happened.
'What’s going on? Did they prepare a surprise party without me?'
Party, huh? Come to think of it, Arthin's birthday was in fall, but mine was right around now. No one ever remembered it, but maybe I'd celebrate alone.
"Big Brother! How can you call people and then be late?!"
"Haha, I was finishing up one last artifact and lost track of time. Sorry, sorry."
"...Hmph, this one doesn't know why you made me follow you."
As I explained my tardiness, the sulky Unicorn trudged in through the open door and plopped into a chair. I hadn't realized she was still upset from the cafe earlier that afternoon—her feelings must have been hurt more than I thought.
'A bit annoying... but even if I don't need to win her over, I should cheer her up.'
I pulled the box of hastily prepared artifacts from my pocket and set it on the desk, then opened the alchemy machine and first retrieved the greaves I'd made for Shaomei.
"Alright! Since I was late, let's distribute the artifacts right away and call it. Everyone cool with that?"
"Phew, I'll let it slide this once, got it, Big Brother?"
Shaomei trotted forward as she spoke, and the others—who'd been awkwardly seated—jumped up at once, lining up on their own. They didn't show it, but they'd been pretty excited, huh?
"First up, greaves for Shaomei! Based on black dragon bone and hide, so they'll lightly deflect most magic or attacks!"
I held out the greaves, and Shaomei snatched them with sparkling eyes, scanning them eagerly.
"Whoa... made from black dragon byproducts?"
"Mithril for the metal, plus over twenty support spells for easy use anytime. Try 'em on!"
"Thank you, Big Brother! I'll make it a family heirloom when I get home!"
Shaomei seemed thrilled, planting a deep kiss on my cheek before returning to her seat to try them on.
"Next, Violet's staff: dragon hearts x2 for the core, phoenix feathers, world tree for the frame, and sky eagle talons for stability. I crammed in every circuit I could think of, so it might even outdo Lich's staff—treasure it well."
I felt a swell of satisfaction just holding the staff, which brimmed with vitality and mana. Originally meant for myself, I'd pivoted it into Violet's artifact and poured extra effort in. As the one that guzzled the most points among this batch, its sheen was particularly pleasing.
But Violet, who'd been eagerly awaiting the staff in line, looked stunned after my explanation, hesitating to even take it.
"I-Is it really okay to give something like this to me? You'd be way better off using it yourself, Arthin..."
"Like I said at the cafe earlier—you need to have confidence in your own skills, Violet. You're more than worthy, so just take it without worrying."
"B-But..."
I firmly placed the staff in Violet's reluctant hands. She still looked burdened, but seeing I wouldn't budge, she finally accepted and returned to her seat.
Even then, she cradled it protectively in both arms like a precious baby—it was a bit stifling, but time would fix that. Believing so, I pulled out the next artifact: the smallsword.
"Next, smallsword for Agnes: 100% pure mithril, with mana and reinforcement spells to make up for any lacking strength. Loaded with support arrays to maximize aura sword and mana release efficiency—perfect for you, I think."
"...Thank you, Arthin. Such a precious gift..."
As I handed her the sword, Agnes took it with an ecstatic expression, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.
"Wh-Why are you crying all of a sudden, Agnes?! This is really nothing— no need to cry!"
"How could it be nothing?! You said all these materials came from your past life's achievements... How could I not cry receiving something so precious...?"
She sniffled, genuinely moved, staring at the sword. Panicking, I glanced at Jorba, who was giving me massive "hug her" eyes.
Following his advice, I pulled her into an embrace and patted her back. Agnes calmed a bit, steadying her breath as she softly hugged me back.
"Sorry, Arthin. Ruining a happy moment by crying..."
"It's fine. Feeling better now?"
After wiping the childlike Agnes's tears and releasing the hug, she leaned in and lightly kissed my lips.
"Thank you so much, Arthin. But please don't overdo it from now on, okay?"
Leaving those caring words, Agnes returned to her seat. Happiness welled up deep in my chest. This is happiness.
"Great, happy vibes are good, but now it's my turn, Arthin. What amazing thing did you prepare for me?"
Jorba's husky voice cut through my overwhelming joy, shattering my mood entirely.
Damn, that pointless baritone of his really knew how to piss people off.
"Don't have one for you."
"...None? Arthin? What do you mean?"
"You're a guy. Why would I make guy stuff?"
"...Joking, right?"
"Yeah, got mad and teased you."
As Jorba's panicked face stiffened, I finally smirked in satisfaction and pulled out a small dagger.
"Made with unicorn horn mixed in. Great for shattering or breaking magic. If someone tries to trap you with spells, use this to escape."
I offered the white dagger wrapped in red silk. Jorba drew it, appraised its value, then slowly shifted his gaze toward Unicorn.
"Not unicorn horn, so quit staring and take it if you're gonna."
"Heh, caught me? Couldn't help it—nerves. Thanks, Arthin."
...Truth be told, I hadn't planned to prepare anything. Gifts for dudes?
Still, Jorba followed my lead without even remembering our past, so giving him nothing would've earned me "bastard" shouts from others. I made this lightly with minimal points, but if he's happy, good enough?
"...Partner."
Then, Kaiyen—who'd been at the very back—slipped forward.
"Preparing all this in such short time—you're amazing, Partner."
"...Uh, yeah..."
"So, can I look forward to mine a bit too, Partner?"
Kaiyen eyed the longsword beside me with eager anticipation.
"...Don't have one for you."
Saying that, I drew the now-slightly-long longsword and sheathed it in my cadet uniform's belt. A bit long now, but considering future growth, longsword over arming sword was the right call.
"...None for me? What're you saying?"
"Yeah... You're a guy."
"A guy, so...? You made one for Jorba Pelkas."
"Jorba's weak. Gotta give him self-defense tools."
"...I! You made mine too. Joking, right? Right?"
Kaiyen whined with uncharacteristic urgency, but I shook my head firmly.
"You'll get the holy sword and archangel's ring soon enough."
"S-Still. That's months away. Could fight Demon King Army execs any day."
"You're strong enough without my help. You could've handled that power thief alone if you weren't careless."
"...Sh-Shaomei's strong too! Agnes is strong! What's the difference with me?"
"They're my lovers. Obviously different, Kaiyen."
"I-I'm your partner...!! Your one-and-only partner, Arthin...!!!"
Sigh, what a pain. Act like the protagonist—build your harem, snag opportunities, grow strong. This BL-obsessed punk eyeing my points? Gave him stuff last round, nearly had nightmares from those blatant stares. Can't repeat that.
I placed a hand on his trembling shoulders—his shakes eerily subsided. Annoyed but hiding it, I flashed my brightest smile.
"Because you're my partner, Kaiyen—you—I trust you'll do great without my coddling. You trust me too, right, Partner? I trust you just as much."
His face cycled through stiffening and grinning in real-time—quite the sight. The novel always said his blank expression hid emotions, but this? Writer messed up the setting, honestly.
"...Y-Yeah... Got it, Partner... You trust me, right...?"
"Of course—we promised, remember? Topple the Demon King together, build a peaceful world."
"R-Right... Topple the Demon King... and after... No, nothing."
Kaiyen finally bought my sophistry—or gave up—and slunk back defeated.
Serves you right for meddling in my love life. Being homo was bad enough; sabotaging my romance was unforgivable.
With everyone but one satisfied, I pointed at Unicorn, who'd been sulkily watching from the corner.
"Unicorn, you're up! Your turn now!"
"...Huh? Y-You prepared for this one too? For real?"
"...You made something for Unicorn too, Partner?!"
Ignoring Kaiyen's wail, I handed the small box I'd set on the desk earlier to the stunned Unicorn, who hesitantly stepped forward.
"Wh-What is this, Arthin...?"
"You seemed hurt by my careless words earlier... So, threw this together lightly. Open it."
Unicorn slowly unwrapped the box and lifted the lid, revealing the small earring I'd made myself.
"An earring...?"
"Short on time, so nothing fancy. But against that power thief and Marianne, I noticed your holy power and mana wasting away... This supports that."
"...You truly made this for this one?"
"Yeah. So take it and quit sulking, Unicorn. You staying mad makes it harder on me."
I patted her shoulder, and she nodded vigorously with a beaming face, clutching the box tightly in both hands.
"U-Understood! This one shall graciously forgive you this time—mind your manners henceforth!"
Her words sounded reluctant, but her ecstatic grin said otherwise. Good call preparing it.
"...I'd take an earring over greaves."
"Can't I swap the staff for a ring...?"
"Might be greedy, but... Kinda jealous of Unicorn today."
I overheard my lovers' mutterings from behind.
'Girls, that's way more expensive and better...? Took longer, deeper meaning too...?'
Skipping the teary-eyed Kaiyen, I glanced at Jorba as if to ask "What's the issue?" He just sighed dramatically, like I was the problem.
'What? I feel so wronged...'
This should’ve been a joyous artifact presentation for all, yet only Unicorn was bouncing with excitement.
'Well... at least you're happy. That's something...'