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When Melua suddenly let out a cry, I wondered what was going on—but it seemed the Professor had come to remind her about scheduling the evaluation for the mecha units.

“This is troubling, Melua. Didn’t we talk about you getting in touch sometime this week?”
“I’m really sorry…! I mean, Ignis’ and mine are already in perfect condition, so couldn’t you start with those while I do a quick check on Estea’s… like, super fast?”

Ah, that’s right—Estea used her own unit in the exhibition match. Judging from how it looked, there didn’t seem to be any real damage. Maintenance probably wouldn’t take long at all. Still, I figured it wasn’t my place to offer help, so I kept quiet.

“I unfortunately couldn’t see the match myself, but even so, I think it’s important to inspect it thoroughly—just in case. That said, to save time, I don’t mind conducting the mecha evaluations in parallel.”
“You’re the best, Professor! You totally get it~!”

Relieved by the Professor’s softened stance, Melua clapped her hands and broke into a smile.

“Yes. If I were in your shoes and had to weigh a mecha maintenance check against a follow-up Blood Grail experiment… well, the choice would be obvious.”

Peering curiously at the completed Blood Grail, the Professor’s lips curved in amusement.

“Right!? My Master is totally insane—in the best way! I mean, she took that not-even-remotely-simple ‘simplified formula’ and rewrote it into a newtype-based version!”
“…I see. So that was an option. But to not only decipher it, but improve it as well…”
“I’ll include the details in the report.”

With both Melua and the Professor looking at me like I was the very embodiment of curiosity itself, I couldn’t help but smile wryly. Well, I had already transmuted two Blood Grails at this point, so trying to downplay my alchemical knowledge and skill any further would’ve been a losing battle.

“By the way, Ignis’ mecha has a dedicated technician assigned to it, so I never get to take a look myself, but I’m super curious about how it manages to boost his aptitude rating so much! Professor, are you able to evaluate that kind of thing too?”
“No. Even assuming there is some kind of mechanism involved, there’s nothing illegal about it. And since there haven’t been any reports of faulty measurements this term, I can only assess the values as recorded.”

The fact that Ignis’ mecha aptitude score—only around 65 last year—had risen high enough to qualify for Zersteller – Canalford Cup, couldn’t be explained by improvements to his unit’s performance alone. But the Professor made it clear that Melua’s suspicions couldn’t be pursued any further under the current circumstances.

It was hard to say whether this was the result of some hidden force at work, or if I should take things at face value.

Even though this school had traditionally upheld the noble class system, ever since Ignis enrolled, the way nobles and commoners were treated—particularly with regard to discrimination against demi-humans—had taken an odd turn. His own remarks about demi-humans were especially abnormal.

That sense of wrongness wasn’t just mine—Estea had voiced it as well. In fact, a large part of why she took on the role of student council president was her desire to challenge and change that.

I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of battles would unfold at the Zersteller. If things went according to expectations, the team representing the student council—featuring Estea and Melua, last year’s champions—would surely be the front-runners again. Especially Estea, who, as demonstrated in the recent exhibition match, stood as an unmatched powerhouse even by this Academic City’s standards—an absolute ace.

“…Now then, since my business with Melua is concluded—Leafa, how are things progressing on your end?”

What he was asking about wasn’t the Blood Grail follow-up experiment, which had clearly piqued his curiosity, but rather my independent research project: Effective Deployment and Development of Mecha Soldiers for the Zersteller.

Now that I had a clear plan for equipping Alfe’s unit, Lemures, with an aether-blocking robe, it was time to focus on the next task—accelerating the design of Hom’s unit, Altered’s thruster system.

“Just earlier, I told Isaac and Romeo the same thing, but both units are remarkably well made. The fact that students built them themselves is truly impressive.”
“Well, that’s my master for you! I can’t wait to see them in action too!”

Melua puffed out her chest proudly, beaming at the Professor’s unreserved praise.

“They’re not quite complete yet—there’s still a component missing in both units. Actually, I’ve been struggling with how to design that part…”
“Ah, I see. In that case, I might be able to help. If you have time now, why don’t you come by my lab?”

Before I even finished explaining, the Professor nodded, already having an idea of what I meant.

“Thank you. I’d be glad to.”

When I nodded back, Melua sent me off with a smile, saying she’d take care of all the cleanup.

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