Author: Eltria	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: Mui	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

After finishing applying the all-purpose salve Arna to both Hom and Alfe, I finally got started on what I had originally planned—drawing up schematics for the Mecha Soldier.

Since it had gotten so late, I decided to put off Hom’s thruster system for now, and instead focused on something more immediately feasible: a robe for Alfe that incorporated an aether-blocking curtain.

An “aether-blocking curtain” was, as the name suggested, a type of fabric that interfered with the flow of aether. It was specially treated and infused with microscopic particles known as Deviln particles, which collided with aether and annihilated it upon contact.

These Deviln particles naturally existed in the atmosphere and worked to break down excess aether released from living organisms. Thanks to their presence, even in a sealed, windless space, aether emitted by living beings wouldn’t build up uncontrollably, and the ambient concentration remained stable.

When this aether-blocking curtain was used, it prevented aether from leaking outside its bounds. Typically, it was employed by Mecha Soldiers on the march to avoid detection by enemy scout units.

It made for the perfect gear to help Alfe conceal her magical intentions from Melua during multi-vision spellcasting—just as she had in mind.

For Alfe’s unit, I planned to strip away the unnecessary functions from the sixth-generation Lemures Screamer and repaint it in white, which was more to Alfe’s taste. To match that, I decided to make her robe using a purple-colored aether-blocking curtain.

The fabrication itself wasn’t particularly difficult, so I figured I could leave it to Isaac and Romeo.

There was still a mountain of work ahead, but I had finally reached a point where I could start to see the end of it all. That in itself brought a sense of accomplishment.

Tomorrow afternoon’s elective would be a supplementary alchemy session for the Blood Grail report, so I’d borrow Melua’s atelier for that.

As I noticed the sky gradually beginning to turn white, I stretched deeply and slipped under the covers. In the bed next to mine, I could hear Hom’s slow, peaceful breathing.

“I wonder what kind of dream you’re having, Hom.”

I whispered so softly it was barely audible, speaking to her sleeping face. For just a moment, it looked like a faint smile played across her lips.

The next day during lunch break.

After entrusting the schematics for the aether-blocking robe to Isaac and Romeo, I paid a visit to Melua’s atelier.

Originally, I had planned to come during the afternoon elective period, but since Alfe seemed to be holding a strategy meeting with Lili-Lulu to prepare for magic class, I decided to come earlier.

As for the afternoon elective, I was assigned to work on Mecha Soldier construction as an independent project, and Melua was exempt from taking the elective magic class. That meant the two of us could work without interrupting Alfe.

“Oh! Master! I prepped all the materials you asked for yesterday!”
“Thanks. Sorry for rushing you.”

It looked like Melua had already gathered everything, even though I had only mentioned the Blood Grail makeup experiment yesterday. The required materials were neatly arranged on the workbench.

“So, what about the blood? Will this magical beast’s blood do?”
“That’s fine. If you could pick the one with the highest aether content, that would help a lot.”
“That okay? You’re not worried about the attribute or anything?”

Ah, of course. That’s just like Melua—she had a solid grasp of the fundamentals. The Blood Grail increased aether output by shifting aether closer to the light attribute. She clearly understood that.

“I’ll mix in a small amount of my own blood. That should be enough.”
“Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, Master, your golden aether is crazy divine. It just screams light attribute.”

Melua narrowed her eyes and stared intently at the space around me. There wasn’t really any point in trying to hide aether from Melua—both of her eyes were Pure Eyes—so I just nodded in acknowledgment.

“Haah, still… getting to see Master’s live alchemy up close—this is seriously exciting! Like, Albion’s simplified formula is so ridiculously complicated it’s not even simplified anymore, right? But you’re just gonna zip through it like it’s nothing, huh~?”

While I rolled up my sleeves to make it easier to work, Melua kept rambling in barely contained excitement. Just like with Glass’ magical devices, she genuinely seemed to love this sort of thing. That passion must be what allowed her to blaze her own trail in alchemy—even with her magic specialization—and earn the title of Special-Class Alchemist.

“Huh? Master, you look kinda happy.”
“Yeah, maybe I am. Watching you, Melua, I think I just remembered what it is that an alchemist truly needs.”

The most important quality in an alchemist, in my opinion, is curiosity.

That pure intellectual curiosity—a drive to get closer to the truth—is sometimes dangerously reckless, even to the point of self-destruction. But without it, alchemy would never have developed as far as it has.

It’s the desire to push your own limits. To see what you can do with your own hands.

That hasn’t changed between my past life and this one.

The only real difference is that now, in this life, I take immense joy in the fact that this ability (alchemy) of mine can actually help someone else.

“Eheh. Well, people can say what they want, but yeah—it really is all about curiosity, right? Like, ‘What happens if I try this?’ or ‘Would this work even better if I did that?’ And if you wanna sound all cool and official, you could call it prediction and control, or hypothesis and verification? That kind of thing was super popular in those ancient civilizations way, way back—like, from some era that doesn’t even exist anymore.”
“Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

It was immediately clear she was talking about the old scientific civilizations—sealed away as humanity’s greatest mistake, a legacy cursed and buried by history.

“In the end, no matter what the method, it’s still all about the person using it. Alchemy’s no different.”

I nodded and pulled the vial of magical beast blood closer—the substitute I’d chosen in place of demon ink.

“Melua, can I borrow a blade? I need to mix in my blood.”
“How about this one?”

What Melua handed me was a sharp knife—something like what you’d use to dissect small animals.

“Yeah, that’s perfect.”

I took it and, without hesitation, cut the tip of my finger, letting a few drops of blood fall into the vial.

“Ugh, that looks painful… though I bet the wound’s already closing, huh?”
“Exactly. Any abnormality in my body just gets repaired right away.”
“Aether Overproduction Syndrome really is… I don’t know if I’d call it convenient or inconvenient…”

Melua stared at me with pure, unfiltered curiosity in her eyes.

“At least my mind doesn’t get reset. That’s something.”

There were times when the inability to physically grow felt frustrating. But there was no point in dwelling on it. Better to make full use of the advantages this body did have—that would always be far more productive.

“Oh, right! Experience gets stored in your brain, after all. I guess when people say ‘the body remembers,’ they’re actually talking about some kind of subconscious process?”
“Well, the brain’s what sends the signals to move the body, after all.”

I couldn’t exactly tell her that my soul’s memories had remained imprinted on my brain, letting me access my past life’s knowledge—but that didn’t make it any less true.

“Alright. That’s everything. Time to begin the synthesis.”
“Yes! I’ve been waiting for this!”

Melua threw both hands up in pure, unrestrained excitement. Faced with alchemical curiosity, she became almost childlike in her enthusiasm. I smiled at the sight—and began the synthesis of the Blood Grail.

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