Chapter 22 The Man Who Spins a Yarn
"I thought it might be him when I saw the name and age, but come on, it's really that [Maga Ex Machina], and he's Master Kreis's brother, and he's living with a cute girl and all."
"I get that he's a guy."
"Isn't there stuff you understand in your head but your heart can't catch up to?"
Cut the serious face, drunkard.
After the inspection, Yuruyana and I were invited to dinner by Sesto, so the 3 of us ended up going to Hannah's cafeteria.
Now, with some drinks in him, Sesto is rolling up a scroll with one hand, sitting across from me.
"Sure, 7th place might be nothing to the top dog, but I was trying my best too, you know?"
"We never talked about this in school?"
"I tried to talk to you! But it was one-sided!"
"I really don't remember at all. I was too busy to pay attention to people."
After all, I had to finish a course that normally takes 6 years in just 3.
In the Arcanist department where individual skills are valued above all, there was almost no group work, and some days I didn't say a word if I didn't have classes with the Arcane Engineers.
"But you had a nickname, right?"
"I don't even know who started calling me that..."
I know I've been given a longer nickname than my real name, [Maga Ex Machina], and it means I'm the odd one out in the Arcanist department who's also in the Arcane Engineer department.
It's actually the other way around, though.
"Maybe the professor was the first to say it, I guess."
Tilting his second drink, Sesto looked up at an angle.
"Ah, I get it now. I was being insulted after all."
Since my first choice was Arcane Engineer, the Arcanist professors didn't like me much, and I was always getting picked on, with no memories of being praised.
"It's not like that anymore. My junior told me. There's a student of his who took both Arcanist and Arcane Engineer courses, finished both in 3 years, and graduated at the top of the class. He keeps hearing about how well that student is doing in the military."
"He used to say, 'Don't look down on the Arcanist course!' and 'Quit the Engineer course!' but he did a complete 180."
I clicked my tongue, and bit into the shrimp fried rice in a rough way.
"I guess he wants to brag when his student is doing well."
"I don't remember being taught by him. He was just the one grading my tests."
Arcane Machinery is usually for people who aren't good with magic, to make up for it with tech and power.
If you have the talent to be an Arcanist, you don't really need it. I admit I was a weird one.
But they told me to join the Arcanist course, and then they keep being mean when I do.
What's up with that? Back then, I was more hot-blooded, so I was always fighting with the Arcanist professors.
"You're really hated, huh?.. You like Arcane Machinery that much?"
"Of course. I joined the military to get my hands on big machines at first."
Then Sesto seemed to notice something, and whispered.
"Could it be, did the royal palace try to recruit you?"
"They did. I refused."
The court Arcanists who work for the king in the royal palace are mostly nobles, and they're especially proud of being able to use magic by themselves, so they look down on Arcane Machinery. They don't use it at all in their workplace.
"...Because of their stupid pride, the royal palace lost a talented person, huh."
One of the advantages of becoming a court Arcanist is that if you do well, you can get the rank of Baron, and it's the only way to become a noble.
My father's family got their title that way.
But a workplace where I have to give up what I like has no appeal to me.
"Wasn't the Arcanist course like that too?"
"That's right. I felt the same way when I first entered."
"And now?"
Sesto seems to like me a lot.
He doesn't seem to hate Arcane Engineers or machines very much.
"I'm a commoner, so I know how Arcane Machinery helps people because I work in the government. Arcanists don't get to use their magic much, even if they have a license. If they want to use it, they have to go to the royal palace, the army, the police, or become a scholar or teacher."
"You should have joined the army. They're always looking for Arcanists."
He wouldn't let me change my mind and become an engineer.
"I can't, I'm a scaredy-cat!"
"You're saying that yourself?"
Yuruyana, who had been quiet, finally sounded annoyed.
"I started to respect Kreis, not just because he was good at arguing with professors and nobles."
"It felt good..."
"Of course, that's part of it. But that's not it, Mr. Yuruyana. Have you seen this guy's magic?"
"The small stuff, yes."
I sometimes uses magic like [Torch], which doesn't need tools.
"You should see a big one sometime. It's so beautiful. Any Arcanist would fall in love with it. Even the professors, I think they were jealous. Because he doesn't even know how good it is."
"Magic isn't beautiful or ugly. It works the same way with the same spells."
"No, it's not like that! Kreis always looks at the circuit boards and says, 'It's a beautiful circuit'! It's the same thing!"
"Huh? Did I say that out loud?"
"Sometimes you do."
Yuruyana nodded seriously.
I should be careful.
And I tilted my head.
"You were there when I was looking at the circuit boards? ...Oh."
Suddenly, I remembered a man who always came to see me when I was alone.
I think their hair color is similar.
"Maybe, did you wear glasses when you were a student?"
"You remembered!?"
Sesto's face brightened up.
Right when I said sorry, Sesto went *thump* and slammed his forehead on the desk.
Mako, who was just walking by, made a face she almost never showed to customers. It was like she was grossed out.
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