#7. Big and Beautiful Thing

Kevin Aldehelm had always been the best.

The word ‘genius,’ which he’d heard since birth, became tiresome after his childhood.

The sugary flattery of those around him no longer held any interest.

He was loved by everyone, and so, he ceased to yearn for it.

“Perhaps… am I chosen?”

The legendary hero who defeated the Demon King was said to have been skilled with a sword since he was young.

So was Kevin. From the moment he first grasped a blade, he could feel that he was different from others.

Kevin thought.

Perhaps, the next hero might be him.

It was a truly pleasant…

Delusion.

The first evaluation he received upon arriving at the academy.

It was a duel within the Department of Swordsmanship, held under the supervision of Professor Cecil.

Kevin placed third.

Third place.

No less than two people existed above him. Furthermore, the gap between him and second place was considerable.

Kevin despaired. His talent, the talent he believed had been chosen, was merely mediocre.

Unacceptable.

Because he couldn’t accept it, he trained even harder.

Using the excuse that his laziness was the cause, he grew stronger.

And then, he lost.

“Ah… wouldn’t you mind stopping? It’s already the third time I’ve humored you.”

He was certain he would win this time. That certainty was repeated three times, and then reversed once more.

Kevin was finally forced to admit it.

That he was not chosen.

That it was all just a foolish delusion.

That admission was the problem.

Acknowledging his own ignorance and powerlessness meant a drastic fall in his self-esteem. As a result, Kevin, who had been narcissistic from the start, began to change in a significantly twisted direction.

『Everyone weaker than me is trash.』

A typical bully. He became a petty man.

He told himself that he couldn’t endure otherwise, creating his own excuses that no one cared to hear.

Then, one man caught his eye.

A good-for-nothing from the Department of Magical Engineering. An easy target.

His self-esteem was already a bottomless pit, but he still attempted to fill it with meaningless gratification.

He humiliated the man in front of everyone.

“Hey, isn’t that the Magical Engineering Department?”

“He looks exactly like the kind of guy who’d be tinkering with machines. Don’t you think?”

“The school’s a joke. What are they trying to prove by including those kinds of guys in a combat exam?”

He lashed out at the man with bitter words, but no response came.

He tasted victory. He savored the pleasure. He felt fulfilled.

He sneered and elevated himself, degradingly pointing fingers and diminishing others.

Even so, Kevin rationalized again.

“A guy who can’t even stand up for himself when he’s being scorned, he’s practically garbage anyway.”

He had only made a justified observation.

It was that guy’s fault for not getting angry.

“Ha ha!”

Kevin laughed like that.

His eccentric behavior continued in the waiting room, and just as the atmosphere grew tense, his turn came.

He was first.

“Huh?”

The arena… No, the stage. He decided to think of this arena as a stage.

Because his opponent was so insignificant.

“You’re…them, from back then?”

The man who had swallowed his derision without a word.

Kevin was certain of his victory.

“Oh?”

The man seemed to recognize him as well.

“That’s the same voice from back then.”

In that instant, the man grinned.

“Perfect timing.”

Kevin felt a strange emotion stir within him.

Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but an uncomfortable feeling nonetheless.

He soon recognized the nature of that emotion.

Why?

“Guess I don’t have to feel sorry then.”

…Why am I feeling uneasy?

*

Let’s say you have a presentation assignment.

You have three choices.

1. Present first.

2. Present at a reasonable spot in the order.

3. Present last.

Which would you choose?

I’d go with number 2. Probably most people, not just me, would choose number 2.

But what if the professor decides the order of presentations?

There was a chance, the worst one, that I’d be the first to present.

And here it was.

“Lucky for me, though. It’s you I’m up against.”

《 First Duel! Kevin Aldeharm of the Knight Academy, versus, Rain Ortiz of the Magical Engineering Department! 》

The pressure of being the first was truly indescribable.

Everyone’s focused because it’s the first, which means no mistakes are tolerated.

But.

What if you had been grinding and preparing specifically for this one presentation?

Things change a little.

The pressure remains, so I still don’t like being first, but…

The thrill of ‘exposure’ adds a new dimension, and my feelings are bound to shift considerably.

“…What are you doing?”

“Getting my gear out. Can’t you see?”

I set my bag down and began to pull out my equipment one by one.

For most duel assignments, you’re only allowed one piece of gear. But things are a little different for the Magical Engineering Department.

You can carry multiple pieces of equipment, with the restriction that you made them yourself.

That’s how the balance is maintained, at least a little bit.

“Alright, ready.”

《 It seems both sides are prepared! Rain Ortiz is holding some kind of unknown device… Oh well! 》

I had crafted three pieces of equipment.

A magic sword that maximized the advantages of mana, a subspace pocket that could hold anything, and…

《 So, the First Duel! Beginning now! 》

…a big, beautiful ‘Magical Engineering Double-Barrel Shotgun.’

I fired both barrels at the start.

The recoil wasn’t severe. Just enough to make the barrel rise a little?

That’s how I modified it.

*Bang!* *Boom!*

Of course, the ammunition was non-lethal.

“Gah…!”

Still, it would hurt.

Blue smoke puffed out from the muzzle with a *pfft*. What a shame. Kevin wouldn’t be able to see this magnificent sight.

After all, Kevin had been sent flying a long time ago, with the pellets impacting on his body.

I casually rested my magic sword on my shoulder and said,

“Never seen anything like this, have you?”

There were no firearms in this world.

Only cold weapons and bows. Magic existed, so gunpowder itself hadn’t developed.

I saw potential there.

With this never-before-seen object, I will stir your hearts.

Are you watching? Hidden geniuses!

*Click*.

The shotgun snaps at a right angle. With the loading port exposed, I drew a shell from subspace without delay.

*Thwack.*

*Click.*

Ah.

A pleasing sound.

“You’d best get up.”

*Boom!*

Another shot fired.

I watch blue motes erupt in a smoky spray directly ahead.

*Boom!*

Then, another shot again.

Kevin’s prone form is blasted backwards, far away.

“……”

What is it?

Why…

Isn’t this fun?

“Didn’t come out here to enjoy myself…”

Nor to win, either.

But what should I say?

I feel the pressure that accumulated so far is released.

“Haha…”

*Click.*

*Thwack.*

*Click.*

“Not getting up?”

“Krk….”

Kevin, already soaked in blood, barely managed to stand. I considered shooting him down right away, but wasting ten minutes felt wrong.

Go on, then. Do something.

“Hwaaah!”

Foolishly, Kevin just chose to charge.

Has he fallen into a panic, perhaps?

No matter.

I fired, regardless.

“Ugh.”

Kevin swung his sword, deflecting a single projectile, but took the rest full-on. But this time, he didn’t stumble or fall.

Another shot, and this time he rolled aside to dodge.

A remarkable display of fighting spirit.

“At this range, that fancy weapon of yours won’t help you!”

Kevin yelled, closing the distance in an instant. A chorus of “ooohs” arose from the audience.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

I have another weapon up my sleeve.

I gripped the magitech sword resting on my shoulder. When wielding this blade, swordsmanship is unnecessary.

All you need do is swing.

Pressing a button, I felt the circuits accelerate. The magitech blade’s body was dyed in blue light, emitting a slight hum.

A faint warmth. And light.

…

I’m not usually like this.

But I can’t help but smile.

See, *this* is why exam periods are dangerous.

Keeeeeeeeng!!

“This is what you call technology, you barbaric swordsman!”

Swinging the blade, a massive aura of energy formed, pushing Kevin back.

“Krrrrraaagh!!!”

“Hahahaha!!!”

The reason I pushed him back instead of cutting him down is, of course, that the ‘safety mode’ is activated. If I turned it off, I could do so much more. But the lethality goes up too much, making it unusable in a simple duel.

Anyway.

“Too bad, losing to a magitech nobody like me.”

《 T-the victor is…》

Kevin had lost consciousness, not moving an inch.

《 Rain Ortiz of the Department of Magitechnology!! 》

This is a problem.

That demonstration just changed something big within me.

Magitechnology, invention…

It’s…become interesting…

I tried my best to conceal the rising corners of my mouth.

“What if, what if…”

What if the power output were increased further?

“Ah.”

What am I even thinking…?

Get a grip.

At any rate, my presentation ended without incident.

*

Countless people must have been shocked.

No one knew magitechnology could do this much.

Rain’s goal was achieved. He had piqued the interest of many people, including the so-called ‘geniuses’.

Ironically, the most excited of all was Rachel.

“I, I’ve never seen anything like that before…!”

“…Professor Rachel. Could you please sit down?”

“Not only a magitech sword, but a weapon I’ve never encountered in my life!!”

It was to the point where Meryel, sitting next to her, was instantly overcome with weariness.

Beyond expectations. There was no other way to put it.

Rachel felt that familiar flutter in her chest again.

Me too.

Can I make something like that too?

Such a beautiful machine!

“I have to…”

She fueled her determination.

Determination for arcane engineering, and determination for Rain.

‘I absolutely have to nurture him!’

Rachel herself had no idea how many times she’d made that vow.

Whatever the case, one thing was certain.

Thanks to Rain Ortiz’s performance today, arcane engineering would receive an unprecedented amount of attention.

The problem was…

“That kid, he’s got potential.”

The attention on Rain Ortiz himself had also increased.

“Let’s take him, too.”

Including attention of a less-than-desirable nature.