"Congratulations on your enrollment. My name is Leons Muldaine. It is my pleasure to serve as chancellor of this school. You are in the first class. You will be at the vanguard of a school that will last for a decade or two. Be proud of yourselves. And be a role model for those who come after you. I look forward to working with you.
　There was a round of applause as I left the stage.

"Feng. It's done.
　I never get used to giving speeches, no matter how many times I do them.

Good evening. Good talk.
　When I sat down, the woman sitting next to me smiled and gave me a warm welcome.
　The headmistress here is ...... Camilla-san.

Thank you. But you've taken the job well.
　Well, I guess this isn't something I should be asking for.
　I'd rather be the director of an orphanage than a pain in the ass.
　Or is it hard to keep all those kids together?

　Four hundred and fifty students in the Knight's Department, the Magic Department, and the Civil Service Department.
　That's just one grade, and by the time the kids who entered today will be in the third year, it will be three times this number.
　Managing over a thousand students is still a lot of work compared to an orphanage, right?

'What are you talking about?　There's no reason for me to say no.

'Really?　Aren't you worried about the orphanage?

Don't worry. Anne will take good care of the children.
　I'm sure Anne or ...... that person would be okay with it, but .

Are you sure it's okay for me, a slave, to be the headmaster?

'What?　I said I want to let you go, right?　But you don't like it, do you?
　I thought I should take the quicksilver to be the Dean of the School, but I was turned down. .......

'Yes . . because I can't keep my spirit without it.
　When you say that, you know I can't say anything.
　As I looked at Camilla's smile, I thought to myself, this is a lie ...... .

''Well, I understand . As long as you're in this territory, you won't be inconvenienced . So, you can rest assured that you will be the head of the school.
　There's no one more qualified than Camilla-san, and anyone who gives a d*mn about being a slave in this manpower-strapped situation is an enemy trying to steal time from me, so I'll banish them.

'Yes, sir. I will make a great student who will not be ashamed to work for Master Leo in the future.

It'll be fun. I look forward to it.
　I can't wait to see what kind of kids are going to graduate three years later.


　And after the entrance ceremony was over, I went to my next job right away.
　There's a lot to do today, so I have to hurry!
Long time no see~~. How have you been doing~~?

Yeah. You're looking as good as ever, Barus. So, let me know what you find out.
　The next job was to hear all the information Vals had gleaned from the Kingdom.
　Vals has been working on it for about six months.
　He came home the day before yesterday, and I let him rest, all right? You were tired.
　Now, let's hear about the kingdom.

Yes, sir. First, about Geert Fermat~~~. He's well entrenched in the kingdom. Demon sword, demon gun, and even a big demon gun~~~ we call it a demon gun~~~ it's very powerful~~~. It's the equivalent of a single use of advanced magic~~~
　The way Vals talks is still annoying.
　Well, if you pay attention to everything, you won't be able to finish today's work, so you'll just have to be patient.
　Even so, it's no surprise that the magic sword can make a magic gun, since he's the son of a master, so it's a magic cannon or .......
　For all intents and purposes, it's a magical version of a cannon, right?　It would be very troublesome if they even used such things in war: .......
　If it's a magic gun, it's elementary magic, at our knight's level, it won't do much damage.
　But when it comes to advanced magic, it's a different story: .......

I see. It's going to be a battle between weapons and troops, after all: ....... I'll have to prepare for it without being too generous.

"I think so~~. And really!　About the brave~~

How did it go?　Was it strong?

''It's still~~. At this stage of the game~~I think our helmsman is definitely stronger~~



Okay.
　Weaker than Hermann? Then it's a brave man not to be ...... .

It's just~~~

"Just?
　Hmm?　What's going on?

It's only been a year since he was summoned~~~. And~~~ The strength of the hero is growing at an astonishing rate~~. In four years, even our Commander will be at a hard level~~~
　That was half a year ago, right?　Our knights are growing at an incredible rate too.
　But even so, it's still a bad idea to underestimate the growth rate of our brave men.

"Are you sure she can do non-attribute magic?
　Grandpa didn't have an attribute.

''That's why~~. This time, he's a~~ extremely rare and brave~~

Rare?
　Is there such a thing as a rare for a brave man?

"Yes~~~. Only a brave man can use it~~~. I'm a user of electric magic~~~

Electromagic?
　I've never heard of this kind of magic.

"Electric magic is characterized by speed... You can think of it as non-attribute magic that specializes in speed. All we have to do is to channel electricity through the sword.

'A non-attribute magic that specializes in speed: ....... That sounds strong. We need to take countermeasures against speed. Also, if you channel electricity into the sword, that means you can't touch the sword of a brave man.

Yeah~~~. Touch it and you're done.
　Ha, so this guy's gotten more difficult.
　You can bet that guy's coming at me and he's going to think he's losing.
　If it's used with the heroic correction, I don't feel like I can win at all.

Well, do you have anything else to tell me?

"The next king of the kingdom is almost certain to be the first princess, Elemenane...

Is the First Princess famous for that jewelry craze?
　As I recall, he's the guy who bought my magic stones at the black market auction for a ridiculous amount of money, right?
　Is the kingdom safe for that one to be king?

That's right~~~. But that was only until a year ago~~~. Now~~~ I'm just a good wife supporting a brave man~~?　She's hotter than my Hermann and Alma~~~. If she becomes the king, the bad government of the kingdom will be improved~~~.
　Rather than Herman and Alma, or ......!　How did those two get together?　We were competitors before this, weren't we?
　No, no, no, no.

Has the princess had a change of heart?　Then wouldn't it be better to change the king, without somehow getting him to war?
　Let's assassinate the king, right now!　And then I'll be free from all this busyness!
　I'm rooting for the princess at all costs!

"This isn't going to happen, sir! The kingdom is under the control of the royal family, and the nobility, and both are corrupt! Unless the war can eliminate them, the kingdom will not be better! And the princess and her entourage, Aaron, understand that. There will definitely be a war.
　That's his aide, Aaron. .......
　Maybe that person will be the key to the peace talks.

I see. ...... That's good news today. I'll see you later. Next time, what's in a month?

Okay. I'll take a month off, then I'll go undercover again~~~

You do that. And get some rest.
　Information warfare is going to determine the future of the war effort.
　Vals will have to do his best.

So long~ See ya~.

"Geez. I'm tired~. I'm pretty good at this, though~
　Oh, you're talking like a Vals.


　And today's work isn't over yet.
　As soon as I finished reporting to Vals, I moved to the Imperial Capital.
''Master. They're here!



Hey, Leo. My brother is holed up in his workroom.
　When I transitioned to Master's shop, Colt-san said that and pointed to the work room .

''Ah, Mr. Colt . It's been a while . I knew it, Master, do you feel like you're still dragging your son around?
　I've been here many times since that day when I told you that I nearly died from my master's son's bomb, and he's been developing his magic tool as if he were possessed by a demon. .......
　Today, I was asked to come over today because that development has come to a close.

''It seems so ....... Well, but my brother thinks it's his own way to settle the score. You'll have to ask him.

I understand.

'Master!　They're here~
　When I walked into the workroom, I saw Master was still working on his magic tools.
　You're always making magic tools whenever you come in.

"Ah, Leo. It's good to see you. Have you been well.

''Yes . Master has ...... lost some weight?
　What is it, you don't seem to have a healthy way to lose weight: ......?

Well.
　It's not well. .......

'You have to eat your food properly, don't you?

I understand. He harmed the Empire and Leo, and I want to pay for it in the next war. I can't get back what he's done. Of course, when the war is over, I'll still contribute to the Empire. It will be the first and last thing I will ever do for him as a father.
　The look in Master's eyes was so strong and filled with determination.
　It can't be helped. Since it doesn't seem to stop no matter what I say, I'll come by often to see what's going on.

I'm sure you're right. ...... son. It looks like you managed to escape to the kingdom safely.

I knew you were developing ...... weapons?
　The master didn't call the tools his son made magical tools.
　He called them instruments that were used to kill people.
　Magic tools are for making people rich and must not be made to kill people.
　That's what he said.

Yes. It seems like you've helped the kingdom quite a bit in the last six months. Demon swords and demon guns. And I heard they've developed a new weapon, a magic gun.

A magic cannon?　What's that?

Apparently it's a larger version of the magic gun. I hear it can produce advanced magic.

Oh, what. You just made it bigger. Then I'm not as scared as you think I am.

'What?　What do you mean?
　After hearing my explanation, I was surprised to see my master lose interest .
　It's advanced magic, okay?

It's easy. It doesn't get a lot of mileage out of it. It takes a hell of a lot of magic. I'm talking about the amount of magic Leo has in his kit.
　Okay, I get it. It doesn't get a lot of mileage.

So you can't use the kingdom?

Yeah, I think I've got one shot.

I see. ...... I've heard good things about it.
　Well, that's good to know. Well, let's keep an eye out for the magic cannon.

But look what I've invented!　What do you think?
　Oh yeah. I came to see Master's invention.
　So I looked in the direction where he pointed me and saw ...... a fine shield and armor lined up.

"Is this shield and armour?

Yeah. See, when it comes to war, it's all about the knights, right?　I've created a high performance shield and armor.

What are they capable of?
　My master built this. There must be some kind of ability.

I know so. First, the shield. It can be hardened with non-attribute magic. A little bit of mid-range magic will do just fine, no matter how many times it hits you. Maybe even some advanced magic can take a hit.


　Quite the master!　What a thing you made for me!

''That's great: ...... So you've made up for the weakness of your resistance to melee magic attacks: ...... This can be used in war.''
　Even if I can't put together a wizard, this will make up the difference in wizards.
　This is a big one.

Right?　Next, let's talk about armor: ...... This is awesome. Even warriors who haven't mastered attribute-free magic can fight with attribute-free magic for just a minute or so! It's only for emergency use, but it more than doubles your physical abilities. I've used it myself, and I can run faster with my armor on than I could without it.

That's great. I'm sure there are other uses for it, and I'd appreciate it if you could get it mass-produced right away.
　This will help a lot of knights who can't use non-attribute magic.

Yeah, maybe we can mass produce this too in the factory. It'll take some time to train them, but the guys working in the factory should be able to learn their procedures in half a year. Well, that's why we've made improvements to make it as simple as possible.

Is this easy?
　Because it's the armor that elevates your power, right?

'Yeah. It may look big and hard, but it's not that hard. Anyone can make a shield if they can draw a hardened magic circle. As for the armor, it's a lot simpler than the first plane. The guys in the head office said it was easy, so it should be fine.
　Well, if the master says so much, is it okay?
　Well, if it's going to be mass-produced in a factory, we'll get a lot of it and we'll be thankful for it.

Okay, ......, don't push it too hard, okay?

I'm tough, I can handle this. You stay out of trouble yourself, okay?　You're still young.
　Isn't it usually the other way around?　You're not as young as you think you are.

Well, we'll call it a win-win. Master, you need to get some rest, okay?
　I wouldn't want Master to fall over.

Oh, okay. Oh, and I need a little favor from you: ......

Can you do me a favor: ......?

'Oh, can you share some of Leo's magic stones with me?　I haven't decided what I'm going to make, but I want to make something first class.
　Indeed, I'm wondering what would happen if Master used my magic stone to create a magic tool .

''...... I see . Okay . It's fine.
　We can make as many magic stones in our spare time as we want.

Really?

''Yes. I'll bring the magic stone tomorrow. So you should rest for now.

Oh, come on.　You would be right there: ......
　Yeah. I got the transfer right away.

That's for your rest. I won't get it for you if you don't.
　I'd like to give him a week off, but if I do that, I'm going to have withdrawal symptoms this time .
　We'll just stick it out for a day.

We'll take it from there.
　She doesn't want to take a day off.
　Don't you normally take a day off when someone says they won't prepare anything?

Mr. Colt!　Let me know tomorrow if my master has been resting!

Yes!
　Since Master wasn't going to take a day off by himself, I've asked Colt to keep an eye on him.
　Well, now Master will have to take a break too.

Well, see you tomorrow, Master!

Hey!　Wait!
　Before Master caught me, I shifted.

　The next day, he was waiting for me to come in with a magic circle pen.
　After I made sure Colt was resting, he handed me the magic stone and walked into the workroom.
　I knew it. I knew there was no way I could let you rest for a week.