99. Finals Are... Out of Service (1)
99. Finals Are... Out of Service (1)
"...Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be a serious malfunction."
"Thank you."
"No need. As the creator, AS—no, repairing a malfunction is only natural."
"AS...?"
"Something like that."
"Is that so?"
Fortunately, Karina didn't press me on the slip. As expected of the Saintess. Her heart was so big—no, so broad and benevolent. This was why everyone ought to believe in the Church of Ka—
"Uh, Yohan? You're saying it out loud..."
Ah. My mouth.
"...Pretend you didn't hear that."
"Have you finished fixing Patrasche?"
Mercifully, Karina pretended not to have heard me and moved on to Patrasche. Ah, this was the benevolence expected of the Saintess of the Church of Kalon. No wonder it was the continent's largest faith.
"While I was at it, I was thinking of making a few improvements."
I planned to touch up the wheels a bit and readjust the handles and center of gravity. It had kept losing its balance on slopes, you see. Though admittedly, with a driver like Reni, who could boast enough monstrous strength to carry a carriage, I wasn't sure how useful it would be—but it was still better than not doing it at all.
I pulled over the materials piled up in a corner of the workshop and reinforced Patrasche. I shaved down some bone to adjust the center of gravity, improved the wheels to roll more easily, and fitted new brakes to prevent it from toppling on slopes.
Finally, I added a folding mechanism for better portability.
At this point, this was the best I could do.
Ideally, I'd have liked to add all sorts of things for self-defense, but that would be tricky. Ideas like a weapon compartment under the seat or a poison dart launcher inside the handle did cross my mind, but unfortunately, I couldn't build them.
If some damned malfunction injured Karina, it would be a real headache.
A problem caused by a device I'd hidden away wouldn't end with a simple pay cut—not a chance. In the worst case, I could get kicked out of the academy. For someone who wanted to see the True Ending at any cost, that was the absolute worst outcome.
Besides, with Reni around, I doubted any such contraption would make a meaningful difference anyway. I'd be better off just making her a dedicated self-defense weapon.
"That should do it."
"Is it finished?"
"Would you like to try sitting in it?"
I unfolded Patrasche and set it before Karina. She gazed at the wheelchair for a moment, then carefully braced herself against the desk and stood. Her condition couldn't have improved that much yet, so I watched anxiously, afraid she might collapse.
"Ah...!"
I caught Karina before she fell. A soft sensation settled into my arms. In the position we had ended up in, our chests were pressed together. Reni would probably get angry if she saw this. I hurriedly seated Karina, who had practically collapsed into my arms, on Patrasche.
"...Thank you."
Her body, pressed against mine for the first time in quite a while, carried a pleasant fragrance. Did she use perfume, or had she always smelled like this? Neither possibility mattered much, yet the question lingered.
...She was also the most mature of our lot.
"Yohan?"
"Ah, sorry."
"Not at all. Now that I think about it, it's been a while since we've been alone like this."
The attempt to change the subject was obvious, but having no desire to prolong the awkward atmosphere, I played along.
"I think this is the first time since the uninhabited island."
"The island... it really was an amazing place."
An amazing place? I glanced at Karina. Her expression was steeped in nostalgia.
Uh... To me, it had been a nightmare in every conceivable way, but from Karina's perspective, perhaps it had become a fond memory. Considering what she was enduring now, the island might even have felt more comfortable by comparison.
Barely any time after returning to the continent, she had fallen into a coma, and now a curse made it difficult for her even to move. Just moments ago, she'd nearly collapsed before taking three steps. I'd also suffered a severe injury on that island, so I understood the feeling.
Not that I had any desire to go back. With all the profoundly shitty memories, I still occasionally had nightmares of wandering that place.
"Um... Yohan? Would you mind taking me for a walk? Staying cooped up in the workshop is making me feel stifled."
"Retriever..."
"Yes?"
"Nothing."
If Millia was a small dog that mindlessly clung to people, Karina was a large, calm dog. Comparing the Saintess to dog breeds was a bit much, but the thought had popped into my head and slipped out. I put on my coat and took hold of Patrasche's handle.
Had the last time been when I pushed Millia around?
I began slowly pushing Patrasche, careful about Karina's safety.
Going too fast was a problem, and so was going too slowly. The key was maintaining an appropriate speed.
I opened the workshop door and stepped onto the grass beneath the blazing sun. Thankfully, the further-improved Patrasche moved without trouble.
"A walk, huh..."
A strange feeling settled in.
A walk with just the two of us—no Millia, no Elisa, no Reni. How long had it been since we'd walked together like this?
"It's been a while since we walked alone."
"Had the last time been on the island?"
"Back then, I was truly terrified, and I wanted to return to this land as quickly as possible... but humans really are fickle creatures. Now that I'm back, I sometimes find myself wanting to return to that island."
"It isn't strange. People often idealize the past once it's behind them."
"Is that so?"
"It is."
A soft, elegant laugh reached me. Regrettably, standing behind the wheelchair meant I couldn't see her face. Trying to hide my disappointment, I pushed a little faster.
Creak, creak, went the wheels as they rolled. The sound was inevitable under a person's weight. In the otherwise quiet yard, even it became background music, and Karina's voice wove through it.
"Reni worries too much, so she was reluctant to go even a little distance away. So you could say I've only ever gone around this garden..."
As if the fact was deeply regrettable to her, Karina let out a light sigh. Well, seeing a garden once or twice was nice, but circling the exact same spot every time was bound to get tiresome. Still, taking her outside myself was a bit awkward. If Reni caught me, I'd obviously be subjected to a bombardment of endless nagging.
"I'd like to see outside a little. Is there any way...?"
Karina turned her head, and our eyes met. Her mismatched eyes glistened as she looked up at me with a playful smile. Faced with her almost overwhelming beauty, I averted my gaze before answering.
"...A little bit should be all right."
"Huhu, thank you."
How could a mere Escort Knight refuse the Saintess's solemn request? She had smiled at me, so of course I had to nod immediately. Having completed my self-justification, I turned Patrasche toward the gate out of Dawn Hall—
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Karina asked me so earnestly. I'll just make a quick circuit nearby and be ba—"
"Not another step."
The pressure on my shoulder forced me to stop. Hardly surprising, since Reni was the one holding it. The angle was a little awkward because I was taller, but that wasn't what mattered.
Reni glared at me with serious eyes. That was Reni for you. The moment Karina was involved, she became deadly serious, friend or not.
"I told you: going outside Dawn Hall isn't allowed."
"If the Saintess so wishes it, how can a mere Escort Knight like myself stop her?"
I shamelessly pulled out the Saintess Shield. Wasn't pretending to indulge a superior's unreasonable demand the very foundation of working life?
At my reply, Reni sighed, snatched the handle from me, and spoke in a brusque voice.
"If only you weren't so good at making excuses... Just go. Your vacation starts today."
"That's true, but—"
"It's ridiculous for a guy on vacation to work overtime. Go out and have fun, or go enjoy your hobbies in the workshop—just go do something. A vacation ought to feel like a vacation."
She understood the value of vacation time—exactly what I wanted from a superior. Since she was pushing me out the door herself, I might as well leave.
I had plenty to do anyway.
"Fine."
"Yeah. I don't know what you're planning, but don't cause any trouble. Cleaning it up is a pain."
"That shouldn't happen."
In truth, it almost certainly would. The entire reason I'd taken this vacation was to go cause trouble. Unfortunate for Reni, but I hoped she'd write a few more incident reports in my stead. Well, depending on how things played out, maybe nothing would happen... but there was no way my life would go that smoothly.
From day one of my transmigration, I'd been subjected to the absurdity of being stranded on an uninhabited island. At this point, I just had to assume that whatever I did, I was bound to get screwed.
"Well then, I'll see you in four days."
"Be careful!"
"Have a good trip!"
It was time to begin my vacation.
Even if heading off on vacation meant going straight downstairs... I let out a bitter smile at the thought of this vacation that wasn't truly a vacation.
Because the end of the first semester was approaching.