#4. That Question

There’s a saying.

“Magical Engineering without magic is like a sword without a blade.”

A jest made by students of magic, deriding Magical Engineering.

Rachel loathed that saying more than anything. Which is why Rein’s invention had her practically flying.

Because Magical Engineering could finally break free from its subservience to magic.

So she bragged.

To the magic professor who was strangely competitive with her.

They weren’t particularly close, but she rushed over to recount the achievement. Along with information about Rein, the student.

Meriel, until now, had emphasized a sense of rivalry, while subtly belittling her work. No matter how hard one tried, it was still just Magical Engineering, or so she said…

That childish bickering ends now. The day that Magical Engineering stands above magic is coming soon.

Such an exhilarating feeling! As if all the pent-up frustration had washed away in one go.

“Where could Student Rein be…?”

Rein Ortiz’s schedule, she had already copied it. To ask for help with research when their schedules aligned. Rein, she believed, could break through any block.

Then, suddenly, Rachel felt a prickling unease.

Rachel had a good sense. It was foolish for a scholar to trust unverified intuition, but she had learned something from her years of experience.

Why, she pondered, and then glanced at the schedule.

“Understanding Magical Equations? The professor is…?”

Mariel Gardner.

Professor Rachel shot up from her chair.

It was hardly conceivable, but she couldn’t bring herself to trust that woman, Mariel.

Magicians were all shady types to begin with. Mariel was particularly so. With her black hair and red eyes, she almost resembled a demon.

Rachel headed towards the lecture hall. Her increasingly quickened pace reflected her state of mind.

“…What?”

The lecture hall was empty.

She was momentarily taken aback, but not deterred. Rachel grabbed the arm of a student walking by.

“Are you perhaps taking the lecture, Understanding Magical Equations?”

“H-huh, Professor…?”

“Answer the question.”

“Yes, ma’am! I am.”

“As far as I know, that lecture wasn’t scheduled for a break. So why is the hall empty?”

“Ah, well… that is…”

Hearing the student’s explanation, Rachel felt the hairs on her neck stand up.

A groundbreaking invention, followed by solving a difficult problem?

Just what is she?

“Ah, and Professor Mariel, I saw her taking that student with her.”

“What did you say?”

No.

This couldn’t be.

My talent…!

Professor Rachel ran. Not a brisk walk. She flat-out ran.

And that was how she arrived at Mariel’s laboratory.

“What are you doing here? Professor Mariel.”

*

Uncomfortable.

“Can’t you see? I’m having a meeting with a student.”

“I understand that student is from our Department of Magical Engineering, however.”

Inwardly, she was uncomfortable as well…

“It’s a private meeting. Please leave, you’re being disruptive.”

“No, I don’t believe I will.”

“Ha… Professor Rachel, this is my laboratory.”

This was nothing more than sitting on pins and needles.

Living and living, seeing professors fight is a first. What in the world is going on?

“Student Rain will be coming with me.”

Professor Rachel grabbed my arm, pulling.

“I told you, we were in the middle of a consultation.”

Professor Meriel seized my other arm.

A tug-of-war had abruptly begun. And I was the rope. Bloody hell.

Someone might say:

What is there to dislike about two beauties fighting over you?

Now, consider this.

Those beauties are professors.

“Um, this is kind of painful…”

At my plea of pain, both professors simultaneously released me.

I tumbled forward.

“…Then, let’s do this.”

Professor Meriel, at a loss as she looked at me sprawled on the floor, broached the subject.

“Let’s have Student Rain choose. Who they want to be with.”

“Ha, that’s a good one.”

Professor.

I have a question.

Why is this happening?

What’s the principle at work here…?

“No, that…”

I tried to get up, to refuse, but it was already too late. Both professors’ gazes were fixed on me.

“….”

I have to choose.

“I…”

To hell with it.

“I will be with Professor Rachel…”

“That’s right!”

Well, my major is magical engineering.

Major over general education, always…

Professor Rachel pumped her fists. Seemed quite thrilled.

In contrast, Professor Meriel…

“…I understand. Rain Ortiz.”

She wore an expression of resolve.

As always, I became intensely uneasy.

“Come on, Rain? ‘We’re’ leaving now.”

Professor Rachel, who emphasized ‘we’ for some reason, grabbed my arm again. Her touch was gentler than before.

“By the way, your laboratory is quite filthy. You should clean up a bit.”

Wow.

The last hit.

Magnificent, Professor.

In any case, I managed to escape Professor Meriel’s office.

Let’s think positively. Professor Rachel somehow got me out of that sticky situation. Such beautiful love for her student… Hm? But where are we going?

“Professor?”

“What is it?”

“May I ask where we’re headed?”

“My laboratory.”

“Pardon?”

No.

Why.

*

“This is my laboratory.”

It hits me anew.

What kind of person the woman before me is.

“It’s… a kind of privilege, granted by the Academy.”

I’ve mentioned it before, but Lunia Academy isn’t ‘the best.’ Even so, Professor Rachel remains at this school for the sake of ‘Magitech’ alone. Not many university academies offer Magitech as a major.

Rachel isn’t just an authority in Magitech. She also earned degrees in Magic Studies – which she detests – as well as general Engineering, and even Alchemy. Her reputation is so great that simply having Professor Rachel on staff is an advertisement for the Academy.

That’s why Lunia Academy grants her such privileges, just to keep her here.

“Well, it’s not exactly squalid. Welcome.”

Welcome…

Professor.

You dragged me here against my will.

I swallowed the words I wanted to say and smiled brightly.

“I’m honored.”

I suppose I have to accept it now.

It’s already gone too far to fix. It’s not like I can erase the Professors’ memories, so I’ll just have to deal with it.

As long as it doesn’t get any worse. Yes, let’s just prevent it from escalating.

I asked, steeling myself,

“What do you need me to do?”

“I’ve built a few devices, and I’d like you to take a look at them.”

Her tone seems to have softened a bit… Maybe it’s not important.

Professor Rachel began to showcase each of the devices she had created.

“This is a rocket hammer that implements Fire Magic.”

It was a large hammer with a booster attached and covered in strange patterns.

“This is a flying cloak that implements Wind Magic.”

It looked like an ordinary cloak, albeit with strange patterns etched into it.

“These are water-walking shoes that implement Ice Magic.”

In any case, they were shoes crammed with strange gadgets and covered in peculiar patterns.

“Well? What do you think?”

The professor offered demonstrations at intervals. He looked almost like a child showing off, but everything worked exactly as intended.

Among them, the rocket hammer was powerful enough to shatter a steel plate in one blow.

Honestly, astonishing. Putting aside his quick adaptation to the new technology, he was already using it to this degree?

Indeed, a genius is a genius… Naturally, there were no flaws visible to my ordinary eyes.

Therefore, I had only one thing to say.

“The design is awful.”

It was true.

The various attachments and add-ons, well, he was just starting development, so I could let that slide.

But what was with this strange pattern?

Tacky.

“The design?”

“Yes. The design. If you submit it as is, it won’t sell a single unit.”

“……”

“Frankly, Professor, your sense of style is hopeless. And why are there so many patterns on the boots?”

“……I understand.”

“Ah, the cloak. You could just paint the cloak a solid color…”

“Rain Ortiz, enough.”

Ah.

Was that too much?

But I was a design student in my past life. I couldn’t just let it go.

“It’s a first.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re the first to tell me honestly without flattering me. It might be a bit much… But it doesn’t matter. Continue to do so.”

Professor Rachel, whom I thought was angry, was now gazing at me with eyes dripping with honey.

I shouldn’t have been so honest after all.

“Then it would be perfect if Rain student could help with the design aspects.”

“…Me?”

“Ah, if you’re talking about compensation, you don’t have to worry. I’ll give you anything you want.”

“Anything I want…”

“If it’s something I can do, that is.”

I began to contemplate.

What I needed most right now.

There was one clear thing.

“Grades.”

“Grades?”

“Yes, I want to get good grades.”

“……”

Professor Rachel stared at me in silence. And then.

“Pfft.”

She laughed.

“AHAHAHAHA!”

Quite loudly at that.

“Haha, ahahaha······!”

“······Is something the matter?”

“Haha, haⵈ. Hmm. It’s nothing. This is good. I promise you. Even if you don’t attend class, even if you don’t submit assignments, I’ll give you the highest grade. Would that be satisfactory?”

“Let’s contract right away.”

Better than I expected.

Money? I don’t need that crap.

For a college student, this is the ultimate reward.

“More than that, Rain student.”

It was then that Professor Rachel brought up ‘other matters.’

“What are you planning to do after graduation?”