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The week following our qualification for the Zersteller flew by in the blink of an eye.

Our application had been safely processed, and our team was officially registered under the name Reinforce.

After submitting my report for the engineering department’s open project, “Effective Use and Development of Mecha Soldiers in the Zersteller,” I was given free time for the rest of the afternoon. I decided to use that time to craft magic tools as a thank-you to Melua, who had been teaching magic to Alfe.

She’d claimed to be satisfied with the Blood Grail I’d created during the supplementary trial, but true to form, she’d kept rattling off the names of magic tools she wanted to customize next. That was just so Melua.

I also needed a chance to relax before the tournament, and the work of crafting magic tools turned out to be a surprisingly good way to calm my nerves.

“Still… I can’t believe it’s already tomorrow. And the tournament bracket won’t be revealed until the day of? Ugh, it’s nerve-wracking~.”

Melua spun the Ring of the Shimmering Starry Sky around her index finger with her thumb, resting her cheek in her other hand as she murmured.

“Well, I guess announcing it on the day prevents any complaints about the matchups.”

What worried me most was whether we’d end up facing Vannabelle’s team—Belle and Her Merry Friends—in the first round. For the record, Numelin had named the team, and Farah had seconded it out of sheer amusement. With two votes in favor, the name was approved by majority. Vannabelle had looked thoroughly embarrassed about it, but from the smile on her face, I could tell she wasn’t entirely opposed. The camaraderie between her, Numelin, and Farah was genuinely heartwarming.

“Ah, yeah, good point. I mean, the chairman’s gonna be there, and they’re letting in guests and spectators too, right? Even if the vice principal has some say in how the bracket’s set up, I doubt they’ll pull anything that obvious.”

The chairman referred to Count Heinrich Felix, who oversaw this academy. He normally resided in the Imperial Capital, Niflheim, but it seemed he would be staying here for a few days to coincide with the Zersteller.

“Still, I don’t remember him being at the entrance ceremony. Why now?”
“Probably just one of those grown-up things, y’know? Zersteller is kinda like a noble pastime—it’s also super popular for betting! And it’s a flashy way to showcase the students’ abilities. So they probably rake in tons of donations or funding or whatever from it. I dunno! That’s just how I imagine it!”

Fair enough—Melua’s logic made some sense. Even if the principal currently couldn’t go against the vice principal, the chairman’s presence might help shift things and improve the academy’s situation.

Maybe that’s what Estea was aiming for in this tournament as well.

I already knew, from my time in Torch Town, that not all of the Empire was built on discrimination. I could only hope Ignis’ increasingly outrageous behavior wouldn’t be allowed to slide unnoticed.

“By the way, Master—how are things going with Alfe lately?”
“Well, she’s been training hard for the tournament.”
“Yeah, she’s super diligent and all—but that’s not what I meant~!”

Melua nodded at my response, then slumped dramatically over the desk with a sigh.

“Did I say something weird?”
“I asked about you and Alfe, not just her~. I was wondering how things are between the two of you!”

It seemed I’d slightly missed her point. Melua didn’t beat around the bush—she asked so directly that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“There’s nothing unusual to report. Alfe and I have always gotten along ever since we were born. She’s even coming over to stay the night tonight.”
“Huh!? But the tournament’s tomorrow!”

Hearing my answer, Melua straightened up from her lazy sprawl and leaned forward with a gasp.

“Yeah, but just for when we sleep. We haven’t had much time to be alone or talk lately, so Hom kindly suggested we make time for each other and communicate properly.”
“Huh~. Hom’s always so calm and aloof, but she’s actually really thoughtful, huh?”

Melua didn’t have much interaction with Hom, but she nodded in interest.

“She is. It’s hard to tell because I placed an emotional restraint on her during the synthesis process, but she’s incredibly kind.”
“Ahh, yeah, people tend to do that when crafting homunculi. I’d probably do it too if I ever made one.”

Her Pure Eyes gleamed gold as she said that. Melua’s eyes always sparkled a little more when the topic turned to alchemy—it was a dead giveaway.

“So, you’re planning to make a homunculus?”
“I was, but after seeing Hom, my standards shot way up. I mean, seriously, I’d need ages before I could make something even close. No way I’d be satisfied unless I reached your level, Master.”

Melua was undeniably talented—but catching up to where I stood would take her some time. After all, I’d already glimpsed the truth of the world in my previous life… though I couldn’t exactly recommend following that path. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure Melua could handle that Administrator, let alone stand against it.

“Well, if it’s while you’re still enrolled, I wouldn’t mind helping out. It all depends on you, though, Melua.”

Since I’d accepted her calling me Master, it was only right to offer support where I could.

“Wha—!? Ahhh, I completely forgot that was even an option!!!”

Melua smacked her forehead as if it had just dawned on her, then began squirming restlessly across the desk in frustration.

“Ughhh, but—! But! Homunculi are, like, totally customizable to your preferences, right!?”
“They are.”
“And they can walk and talk and everything!?”
“That’s right. You can even give them independent thought—they can be fully autonomous beings.”

That’s exactly how I’d created Hom.

“Which… which means… I could totally make someone who fits my exact tastes, just like you did with Hom, Master!!”
“…Huh?”

I was starting to lose the thread of what she was getting at.

“Wait, was I wrong? I figured, since you put so much effort into her design, Hom must be your type, right? I mean—she’s pretty different from Alfe, so I just kinda assumed…”
“…Are you saying you were worried that Hom doesn’t resemble Alfe?”
“Hmm, well… maybe not worried, exactly…”

Maybe I’d phrased it strangely, but Melua fidgeted in place, shifting her weight left and right restlessly.

“You don’t have to worry. I love both Alfe and Hom—regardless of how they look. They’re irreplaceable to me.”

It was true that I’d been particular about Hom’s design—but that was simply because I’d wanted to create someone I’d be happy to keep by my side. Now, that design had taken on feelings, expressions, and a life of its own. Hom had become part of my family. Even if her appearance were different, I don’t think that would’ve changed how I felt.

“Geez… You say stuff like that so naturally, Master… You really are kinda manly, you know…”

Melua let out a sigh, her cheeks tinged faintly pink for some reason.