Return to the Academy (2)
After stabling Silence at the academy stables, I happened to glance up at the sky. Stars adorned the night sky, illuminating it in a brilliant display.
Using the starlight as my guide, I returned to my room and began unpacking. That's when I spotted the chunk of Pier's statue—and froze.
Why the hell did I bring this thing?
I had no idea. No clue why I'd done something so utterly ridiculous.
If I had to come up with an excuse, it was just a heat-of-the-moment impulse. Nothing more.
I shoved the hideous iron lump into a corner of the room for now. Then I unfolded the letter that had been stuck to my door when I arrived.
A letter from Otar?
It had been just shy of two weeks, so it made sense—he could've set up a new forge by now.
As expected, it contained a rough map to Otar's new forge, along with a note: If you're still alive, come find me.
The new forge's location was quite a ways from the central district, much like the old one.
I'll head there tomorrow...
The first place I went upon returning to the academy was Hori's room.
I needed to say I was back—and return the potions I hadn't used in my fight with Robo.
Should I take this too?
The staff and rapier I'd pried off Pier's statue in Pier Village.
Keeping these monstrosities in my room wasn't ideal. I could just pass them off as tourist souvenirs.
I decided to dump the rapier on Otar later. Grabbing the staff, I headed for the girls' dormitory.
Dodging the patrolling guards like a ninja, I slipped into the dorm in a flash and stood before Hori's door, just like last time.
No one around. The guards had passed this way moments ago—they wouldn't be back for a while.
I scaled the wall to Hori's window and gave it a light knock.
Light shone from inside, so she couldn't be asleep. But no response, even after several knocks.
Does she leave the lights on while sleeping?
Twisting slightly, I peered inside. There was Hori at her desk, scribbling away.
Her writing arm was the only thing moving—she was deep in concentration.
No helping it.
She was this focused, so what choice did I have? Using the wall for leverage, I leaped up. As the window rushed toward me, I drew my sword.
-Shhhwick!!
Punching through the glass would've made too much noise. So I sliced it with my blade to muffle the sound as much as possible.
One pane cracked in an X and fell away. I reached through the hole, unlocked the latch with practiced ease, and slipped inside.
But even with someone entering her room, Hori didn't turn around. She was lost in her research.
“……”
I unleashed a Battōjutsu straight at the back of her head in my mind. Hori jolted up like she'd been doused with ice water.
“I-Ian?!”
“Yeah, just got back.”
No spare chairs in Hori's room, so I plopped down on the bed. Hori shot to her feet, clutching her head.
“W-What...?! What just happened?!”
“Remember when I told you about fighting those bandits? I can unleash Battōjutsu with just a thought.”
Finally realizing what hit her, Hori's hands trembled as she spoke.
“D-Don't ever do that again! I'll really get mad if you do!”
“Got it. But you didn't answer after I knocked on the window like a dozen times—you were that focused.”
“The window?”
Remembering it had been locked, she glanced over.
Seeing the missing pane, she gaped in disbelief.
“Um... the window glass is... gone.”
“Use this to fix it.”
I dropped a few silver coins on her desk. Hori let out a hollow laugh.
“I'll... handle the window with the dorm supervisor later. But how was that earth spirit, Marga? Was it strong?! Did my potions help?!”
She grilled me relentlessly on duration, effects, side effects. Unfortunately, I had nothing to report.
Instead of answering, I handed over the unused potions and pills. Her eyes widened.
“N-Not a single one used? Why...?”
“Thought about popping one, but the timing never lined up.”
“Timing?”
If this were a game, one button press and done. But reality doesn't work that way.
Pull the vial from your pocket. Fish out a pill. Swallow it.
Sounds simple. Against a beast like Robo, you don't get that window.
Plus, with unknown duration and side effects, the risk was too high.
I could've taken one during its transformation, but tradition says you wait politely during a foe's change.
And not every enemy will hand you such openings. Either way, improvements were needed.
“...I see. So instead of ingestion, a topical application...? No, lower the potency but extend duration massively for pre-battle use... That reduces side effects, or maybe embed it in a tooth like an assassin's cyanide capsule for emergencies...”
I shared my battle insights with Robo. Hori snatched up her pen, grabbing a stray paper from the floor to jot notes.
Figuring this'd take a while, I yanked the pen and paper away. She snapped out of it, looking up.
“Sorry... I have this habit of noting ideas right away...”
“No worries. Mind doing me a favor?”
“A favor?”
“Yeah. Pass this to Peter—the knight department instructor.”
I handed her the duel application I'd scribbled out en route back to the academy.
She flinched upon hearing what it was.
“N-No way! If you start another duel, it's not three weeks' suspension—you might actually get expelled!”
“That's why I set the venue outside the academy this time. Should be fine.”
“Still...!!”
“I'll use your potions during the duel.”
“I'll deliver it to Instructor Peter, then?”
At the mention of potions, her earlier protests vanished. She nodded eagerly.
“When's the duel date?”
“Date?”
I'd written two days from now, but Peter might need time. If not, it'd shift later.
“Two days... Got it! I'll refine the potions as much as I can by then. You have to use them!”
“...Don't make anything too weird.”
“Weird? When have I ever made anything like that...?”
Sure, nothing official so far. But I clearly remembered the torture herb list from my first visit here.
“Anyway, this is a souvenir from the village I stopped at while hunting Marga—er, Robo. Do whatever with it—decoration or something.”
“Huh? Whoa—!”
Hori took the staff statue, but as an alchemist, she couldn't handle the weight and dropped it.
I snatched it mid-fall.
“Hey, watch it.”
“It's a bit heavy for me... I'll just take the thought. Too tough to move.”
No choice—I'd have to haul Pier's staff statue back out.
Dump it on Jessica later. It looked hammer-ish enough; she'd love it.
“What the...”
The next morning, after a simple breakfast, I couldn't hide my disappointment at Otar's new forge on the map.
It wasn't a crumbling ruin like the old one, but it wasn't some flashy central district building either.
If I had to rate it: ordinary. The kind any random blacksmith shop in any city would point you to.
It's not like I'm living there anyway...
Plus, a forge on the city outskirts? I should've expected this.
-Knock knock.
Like my first visit, I knocked. No answer, no invitation in.
No smoke from the chimney, no hammering. He wasn't absorbed in work.
Sleeping?
Early enough for it. I'd wake him with a Battōjutsu if needed. I opened the door and stepped in...
“...You actually came.”
“...Not sure if this is fortunate or disastrous.”
Otar waited with a black-haired woman I'd never seen before.