The End of Semester and A Sudden Invitation
“Cecil, you really like it that much?”
“…?”
“Yeah. Hee hee.”
Cecil seemed delighted with the hairpin I’d given her.
The only side effect was that she’d fiddle with it dozens of times a day, flashing strange smiles.
If I’d known she’d adore it this much, I might have finished it sooner.
“Oh, right. I finished mine too.”
“Finished what?”
“You know.”
Cecil kept playing with the hairpin, then reached into her patched pouch to fish something out.
We’d been talking about dessert money just moments ago.
Unaware of my gaze, she pulled something free.
“…A bracelet?”
“Yeah!”
Her hand held a thick band shaped like a donut, formed by bending a cylinder.
The bracelet had a white base with delicate black patterns etched into it. More decorative than functional, it looked.
At the center sat a focal point, just like a ring.
A tiny white squirrel with black eyes stood proudly, looking quite adorable.
“How do you like it?”
The confident smile on her face made the squirrel’s image blend seamlessly with her features, then her eyes drifted to the hairpin.
“So this one is for me, right?”
She asked with a small, knowing smile.
“Of course.”
“Hmm.”
I hadn’t expected her to see through it so directly.
“So if I weren’t here, you’d have to think of me every time you saw this.”
“Would there even be a time when I wasn’t with you?”
“…Hee. That’s what you meant.”
The bracelet’s official name was **Black Mist Release**.
A pure artifact that created black clouds.
“This side uses Black Mist as a base, and the other is specially processed black stone powder. For general use, the Mist version is better, but if the opponent resists it, sprinkle the stone powder. It regenerates by burning mana anyway.”
The Black Mist Release was an artifact specialized for obscuring vision or stealth.
It suited my combat style perfectly.
“You know I’m in the Magic Engineering department, right?”
“I thought it was just a retired mercenary running a bar or something.”
There were small issues, but nothing major, so I let it slide.
And naturally, the end of the semester drew near.
***
“…We’ll finish class early today. Don’t miss the next session, it’s the final exam.”
The professor wrapped up his short remarks and left.
It was the familiar warning as the semester wound down.
Though the number of exams varied by subject, with all tests scheduled for next week, I needed to stay sharp.
“Hah.”
But why was he doing this?
Even though it was the last lecture before finals, Cecil had dozed off in her seat, barely managing to stay awake.
“Cecil.”
“Hn?”
“You’re not nervous?”
I asked indirectly, not teasing, but genuinely curious.
“Umm… not really?”
“Why?”
The girl who trembled at the slightest thing was unnaturally calm, so curiosity naturally stirred.
When I pressed further, Cecil propped her chin on her hand and gave a faint smile.
“Wouldn’t it be better if I could handle it well?”
“…?”
I was about to ask why she shouldn’t handle it well when I stopped.
She lived as she pleased, yet she had depth.
I could ask the real reason.
“Umm… well. Magic Engineering is fun. So I attend class, mess around with artifacts as a hobby, but my goal has always been the same.”
“What is it?”
Cecil answered my question with a knowing smile.
“I want to marry a handsome man, live happily at home doing housework, and treat artifacts as a mere hobby.”
“…”
At her answer, I let out a long sigh and, as habit, stroked her hair.
She flinched.
I hadn’t intended to, yet I did it anyway.
But… there was nothing wrong with stopping, right?
And somehow, the softness of it hurt a little.
“Then come to me.”
That must have been why.
Impulsively, I blurted it out.
“I will.”
I received a satisfied reply.
***
That night.
In my dreams, Cecil appeared in a wedding dress.
I fiddled with the Black Mist Release out of habit and fell back asleep.
***
Even if that was the case, I hadn’t thought Cecil would be the first to volunteer for a study session.
With only a week until the academy exams, cramming felt right, but… it was better than not doing it.
Two subjects were replaced by assignments, three had written exams, and one practical.
Among the six total, we only needed to prepare for four, so we could progress faster than expected.
“Any family tree or something?”
“You think there’s one at the academy?”
“Ugh…”
Where had she learned that term?
Unlike me, who studied in spare moments, Cecil seemed genuinely stressed.
“Unfair.”
“What is?”
“You play with me all the time, train in the gym for one or two hours a day, and still manage to study? That’s impossible.”
“The impossible part is you starting to study only a week before the finals.”
“I don’t know. Feed me then.”
“I will, but you still have to study.”
Still, she kept up surprisingly well for only a week.
When the study session ended.
“Here, give me that… quickly.”
“Here.”
“Ah—.”
“You eat it yourself.”
“Ah—.”
“Ugh. Here.”
“Here.”
I received candy from me exactly as she always did.
She whined until I fed it to her, but the real issue was elsewhere.
“Here, you eat it too.”
“Thanks.”
My favorite sour candy.
I wondered when she’d bought it again as I reached for it.
“Smack!”
She snatched it back, making the sound she used to train puppies.
“Why?”
I asked, puzzled.
“Gotta study.”
“…What?”
“Ah— gotta study.”
She made impossible demands.
If she wouldn’t eat, then I wouldn’t offer.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…Hah, ah—.”
“Here, eat it nicely.”
She stared at me fixedly until I gave it to her.
After the humiliation, we ate dinner and returned to the dorm.
Sion was busier than ever, so I found him missing more often.
When I asked why, he simply replied, “For your happy academy life.”
I shrugged it off as gratitude.
What a strange guy.
And a week passed again.
***
On the day of the final exam.
The lecture hall was silent, filled only with the occasional rustle of paper.
The entire space hung heavy with tension.
Since it was the same for me and Cecil, we exchanged candies and paged through our books.
After some time, the sound of shoe ties being untied announced the professor’s return after months.
“No books, phones, or any personal items allowed. If anything without a pen is found, it’s an F. Put them away soon.”
With that, the exams began.
***
Friday evening.
Now that all my exams were done with Cecil’s, we wandered the academy grounds without a destination.
The written subjects seemed fine, and I was confident in the practical one.
The practical required crafting an artifact to match the given performance, but I had slightly enhanced its efficiency.
It was worth anticipating.
Anyway.
The semester in the academy had come to an end.
There were things I missed and things that felt satisfying, but no regrets.
I had always given my best, and I had enjoyed every moment.
It left me a little sentimental.
Luke… hah. Yeah.
It felt odd to suddenly avoid mentioning him.
My father’s words about enjoying life now made sense.
Oh, by the way.
“Cecil.”
“Hn.”
“You’re planning to stay in the dorm during break, right?”
“Right?”
The academy dorm allowed entry even after semesters ended, since it was a one-year room.
Considering the capital’s infrastructure and convenience, it was superior to other facilities.
But.
“I think I’ll head home.”
I had a family now, didn’t I?
The place I’d always longed to return to was finally mine.
“Ah… I see.”
Cecil’s bright smile faded slightly, as if she had been planning to take me with her.
But she didn’t show any displeasure at the thought of me going home.
“Well, it’s fine. I’m going with Bail anyway.”
She tried to play it off casually, but it wasn’t what I wanted.
So.
I gently took both of Cecil’s hands in mine.
“Actually…”
“Mm?”
“Let’s go together.”
“…Eh?”
Cecil blinked her large eyes in surprise.
I had thought she’d expected this.
I met her gaze again and said clearly.
“Let’s go together… to my house.”
“…”
“Of course, if the capital’s infrastructure isn’t to your liking or seeing my parents is inconvenient, that’s fine.”
I added the “of course” part I almost forgot.
But at my words, Cecil’s eyes began to sparkle.
“I-I’d love to. Definitely love to… I’ll definitely go!”
She answered with a stuttering, happy smile.
I smiled faintly back, gazing into her eyes.
I had worried about rejection, but it seemed I had overthought it.
