Volume 4 Chapter 13 Softening Guilhem
"Somehow, Gaspar seems calmer... Am I imagining things?"
"Dad is one of the better heads among the Three Great Houses, but just being intimidating doesn't mean he stops."
"Huh, so that's the 'better' one?"
Horace's workspace is set up in a corner of Sevenstar Academy.
It's a room made from an 'empty classroom,' so there are no curtains, and you can see in from the windows, but Horace isn't worried──he's not the type to be bothered by being watched.
Since he doesn't mind if people watch as long as they don't interfere, he uses this 'empty classroom with no curtains' freely.
There are other research labs at the school with tools neatly arranged, but they all have curtains to hide information ── honestly, their level is different. But... that's just Horace.
Today, only Horace and Guilhem are inside the room while he works.
Gaspar, Guilhem's father, had a grudge with Horace, but now he's sort of 'calmer,' or 'less noisy,' so it seems like they're in a state where you're asking, 'Is it just me?'
"That's the better one. Dad's ignorant, useless, and arrogant, but the heads of the other Two Great Houses are all wise, omnipotent, and psychopathic."
"There's no decent person around."
"Luster Report doesn't seem much different? There was a maid with bloodshot eyes, probably from frustration."
"That's just because she's especially lustful. You can't trust her."
"...Can't do it?"
"Of course not. For some reason, I can't escape. But as long as I'm a teacher here, the law protects me."
"..."
Guilhem fell silent.
Or rather, he just can't understand this area.
Being born as the second son of the most powerful 'Three Great Houses' in Obsidian Magic Dukedom, he rarely encounters situations where 'his opinion doesn't matter.'
He simply lacks the mindset to tolerate things.
...Well, after talking with Ellie, it seems he's started to recognize at least the 'power balance,' if not patience.
"...By the way, what exactly is Mister Horace doing"
"Can't you tell?"
Horace is working on something, but basically he's just "playing with the hilt of his sword."
It's the part where the ornamentation around the guard and blade are, which often show cultural designs, and he's inserting tiny parts into it.
"You're messing with the sword's handle, but I don't know what you're trying to do."
"A student from my class brought it. She wants to turn the guard into a magic tool by adding stuff, so the blade will shine."
"What's the point?"
"It's supposed to be used in dark places to blind enemies."
"That actually makes pretty good sense."
"And she brought the finished outer shell."
So, since the student brought just the outer part of a sword, Horace is inserting parts to finish it.
"...Why didn't she start from inside the guard?"
"I dunno. But fitting circuits into the finished magic tool is just such a hassle... Like, I'm not building a model ship inside a bottle."
A bottle ship is a model of a ship made inside a bottle.
You make the model to fit the bottle shape, then break it down to fit through the bottle's opening, and reassemble inside.
It takes intense focus and patience.
"But if it's that small, couldn't you just take the guard apart first?"
"Well... most of the materials used to make this are really effective for making the sword shine, but if you take them out even once, the performance drops ── totally wrecks it."
"There really is stuff like that?"
"Rare Stone Market stocks some niche metals. So if you disassemble it, the kid who brought it will have wasted his allowance buying those metals."
Rare Stone Market handles metals obtained from Great Mine of Gold World (Kinsekai), treating it as a part of that world's "accessories," so many metals circulate.
Naturally, some remain unsold, and some are affordable for kids' allowances.
"So that's why you're integrating everything without disassembling it."
"That's right."
But it's still a hassle, unchanged.
"Alright, got it done!"
With the cover parts attached, it's complete.
"Now, about presenting this tomorrow morning..."
Just as Horace seemed satisfied, the door suddenly opened.
A female student from Horace's class walked in.
Moreover, she had a big smile, suggesting something delightful had happened.
"Teacher!"
"What's up?"
"Ms. Rangella's boobs are amazing!"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, like, when you want to squeeze boobs with elasticity, they're bouncy, and when you want to squeeze soft boobs, they're plump!"
"..."
As a human, there's a seriously troubling spell that could be cast if you're alive, but what is he supposed to say in this situation?
Horace understands that Rangella and the others are accustomed to 'female-to-female' behavior due to the Demon Lord conquest journey, and with enhanced physical qualities, there are many members with a strong libido, making them experienced in such matters.
Therefore, there's no doubt about the girl's story of touching Rangella's boobs.
But as Horace, it's hard to judge if it's okay to say 'good job' to a 13-year-old girl about this topic.
And her eyes are sparkling so much it's hard to caution her.
"Is there a blonde person among the heroes? That person is a maid and will surely teach you a good way to squeeze."
"Yes!"
"It's not just the person squeezing who enjoys it; you should squeeze in a way that makes the person being squeezed happy too. Got it?"
"Got it! Senior Guilhem is experienced!"
"I have a lot of maids at home, after all."
"I see! Then I'll go ask that blonde person! Hehehe~!"
The female student left with a smile on her face.
"...Guilhem"
"It's a national trait. In this country, female same-sex marriage is one thing, but regarding homosexuality, there's a good understanding, so there's not much you can do about it."
"I see, you can handle that kind of spell."
"Well, yeah. If it's just that much..."
Guilhem, who is ten years younger than Horace, seems to have a good understanding of 'relationships.'
Moreover, he even shows understanding of foreign cultures, not just his own...
"Wait, I thought you were all about academic achievements, but... maybe it's not as big of a deal as I thought?"
"Well... I guess after seeing Her Highness the Princess, my opinion kinda changed... maybe?"
Her Highness Princess Lucia.
At just 14, she's working energetically as the nation's leader, so popular that she's made 80% of the population into lolicon fans, and even people from other countries are affected.
...Is this really okay, world?
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