"So Roderick just let that slide? You always get yourself into trouble by saying weird stuff?"
"I don't think so."
"Oh, sure. Your sense of awareness must be on permanent vacation. I've already counted at least three times you've managed to make life unnecessarily complicated."
"…"
"Seriously, watch your mouth. At this rate, your campus life is basically a disaster blockbuster in slow motion."
Yeah… thanks for the pep talk, life coach.
I glanced at Percy as she flipped through the production draft I'd painfully put together. Percy Liston Clevantin—Magic Faculty Dean, Mage Tower prodigy, professional adulting wizard—was basically the human equivalent of a 'Don't mess with me' sign.
Humankind in Sera had basically leveled up all technology through magic, so being recognized by the Mage Tower? Big. Freaking. Deal.
And somehow, despite gray hairs lurking like a tragic sidekick, she still looked like someone in their late twenties who could glare you into spontaneous self-loathing.
Well, anyway. Name's Adrian Merrick — your friendly neighborhood disaster magnet.
"Are you crazy?" Percy asked, looking like I'd just suggested we paint the library with lava.
"…"
"Why would you ask me to make something like this?"
Yeah, you tell me. It was, without a doubt, a weird request. Even by my standards.
"This is more like a cannon than a bomb. I already thought you went crazy asking for something that could blow up the entire academy. But now you want it focused on a single point?"
Fair. Point taken. It's definitely less 'polite little explosive' and more 'portable cannon with commitment issues.'
I wasn't asking for a fireworks display. I wanted one perfectly timed, surgical strike-level boom. You know, the kind that says I'm here, and also slightly terrifying.
"The actual production will be done by the internal workshop of the Crafting Department. I just need the Dean to design the explosion source and an outer shell to contain it."
"That's the hardest part," Percy said, looking like she'd swallowed a porcupine. "It's already a challenge to prepare that much firepower. Now you also need a strong container to hold it all? Student, do you think I'm a god or something?"
"Not a god," I said. "Just someone who knows when to call in the person actually qualified to make things go boom the way we want."
"But you've already made something similar before."
Percy frowned and clamped her mouth shut like my words were hot lava. Among the things she'd built at the Mage Tower, a few had even gone into production — until that little accident happened and everyone decided discretion was a better policy.
After a pause, she said quietly, "I don't know how you know that. It was a long time ago."
"You were basically a god of magic engineering. What happened?"
If it hadn't been for that 'accident,' she might've been the Tower's successor. Talent like hers doesn't come around twice.
No one else could do this but Percy. She's not just the Magic Faculty Dean for decoration.
"Frankly, I don't know if I should say this."
"…What is it?"
"Well, it's not like the Dean is the one suffering the most."
"…"
Percy cleared her throat like she was trying to erase my words from existence. Nearby students went pale, which, honestly, was probably for the best. Nothing like a little panic to spice up a casual conversation about making weapons.
Wherever you go, it's always the underlings who get stuck with the messy work. Front liners, grunt labor, all that fun stuff. They suffer. Not the Dean. Never the Dean.
"Anyway, production aside. What are you going to use this weapon for?" Percy asked, trying to keep the solemn vibe going.
Fair question. I mean, sure, I've got the "wish ticket," but if a student casually asks for a weapon that could destroy half the academy, anyone would be wary.
Honestly? The answer was simple.
Sera's chapter bosses tend to come out with every dirty trick in the book. And the Purifier? That guy gets especially annoying in the final phase. He's like a cockroach with a vendetta. Tenacious, irritating, and impossible to ignore.
My solution? Take him down in one shot. One glorious, magnificent, no-regrets shot.
"I need to take down something in one hit."
"…Student, you're really bad at explaining, aren't you?" Percy said, eyebrows raised.
Yeah, I'll admit it — vague is my specialty.
"But there is a reason…" I tried.
"I'm sure there are. Alright, I'll make it for you," Percy said, just like that. No eye roll, no lecture. Just… agreement.
I blinked at her. Speechless.
Percy swept her hair back with a sigh. "Well, the President has instructed me to cooperate with you, so I'll be listening to what you say… And I don't think you'll misuse it."
High praise for me? Huh. I'll take it.
She smiled, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. "Normal students may not know, but quite a few faculty members knew of the feat you pulled during the previous monster incident. Something like that can't be done with just ordinary courage and skill."
"…Is that so?"
"Yes. I guess the President was planning on putting you in some youth love drama, aside from saving the world…"
Then Percy froze mid-sentence, her mouth clamping shut like she'd just realized she said too much. Her complexion shifted faster than a fire spell.
What?
"…Youth love drama? The world, yes?"
"Ah, no, ah, I, I said nothing, nothing! You didn't hear anything! Forget everything I said!"
Why is she so flustered?
Although her character was a bit clumsy, seeing her act like this made it seem like she'd just said something she really shouldn't have.
"More importantly, what about the materials to make this?!" Percy blurted, clearly panicking.
She hurriedly changed the topic.
"We'd need internal explosives to act as gunpowder! And a material with good strength, junction, elasticity, and magic conductivity for the outer shell! It'll be really difficult to find them!"
"…For now, please calm down. I'll pretend I didn't hear anything," I said, sighing. "Mostly because I value my freedom."
Although she said that just to change the topic, the point itself was valid.
The material for the explosion and its container were both important.
'Right. Totally normal conversation. Not suspicious at all.'
I fiddled with the black card I received from Arivelle. It was the key to another world.
If I could get inside, it shouldn't be that difficult to find the materials Percy mentioned.
Surviving there, though… well, that's another story.
'For that…'
I only needed two things.
"Dean," I said. "Didn't you say something else when you gave me the wish ticket before?"
"Yes, yeees?!" he stammered.
"…Didn't you say the hero candidate and I can each pick an item from the Vision Warehouse?"
It was a privilege obtained by breaking the mock battle record.
"Then can I ask you for the items we can take out?" I said, writing two names on a piece of paper. "Preferably before Percy builds something that puts us on a government watchlist."
These two are subtle when used separately, but have an extreme effect when combined.
I might be speaking on Elize's behalf, but considering I was the one carrying her during the mock battle, I think I've earned the right to comment.
"…"
When Percy saw the names of the items, she finally regained her composure—though only because what she read was too absurd to process.
She probably already understood why I wanted those two.
"…Have you really gone crazy?" she asked.
"…"
Ma'am.
Why would you ask something with such an obvious answer?