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The bike was much faster and more convenient than a horse or a tram, but it had the downside of being way too conspicuous.

No matter how fast you were, it was tough to pick up speed on the crowded main road. Riding a bike on a road filled with horses, carriages, and trams naturally drew an enormous amount of attention from people.

I was glad to have acquired a bike, but it seemed like I could only ride it freely in the Capital City after commercialization advanced further so that I wouldn’t stand out.

When I soon arrived at the main gate, I was greeted by the pale-faced Captain Hermann.

“I-I-Instructor Ion! What on earth have you done?!”

“What do you mean, ‘what on earth?’ What does that even mean?”

“N-No, anyway, it’s a total mess right now! I’ll guide you through the back door, so let’s enter from here instead of the main gate today!”

It was easy to figure out why he suggested going around to the back door.

From beyond the main gate, I felt a lot of commotion, and at least hundreds of students were gathered, looking excited while remaining in the same spot.

“That was really cool! The two-wheeled automatic magic carriage!”

“They call it a bike, you idiot.”

“Oh right, I forgot. Anyway, if we wait here, we might get to see the real thing, right? Awesome!”

It was a group of male students chatting about the bike.

“Is it true that guy is one of our academy instructors?”

“Of course. I got reliable information confirmed by an upperclassman. They say he’s the instructor for the Opal Black Class?”

“That new class? Wow, those kids are so lucky… Do you think I could transfer to Opal Black right now?”

“Exactly! Our instructor is just this middle-aged guy with butter on his face, and it’s driving me crazy!”

…And apparently, the female students were talking about me too.

I had no idea how things had ended up like this, but I had an instinct that entering through the main gate would surely lead to a troublesome situation.

I stealthily diverted through the back door guided by Captain Hermann.

However, even though I passed through the main gate, I could not use the tram while dragging a big, heavy bike. In the end, I had to ride the bike, which was still quite the spectacle.

“Hey, isn’t that…?”

“Yeah, looks like it! The one that did the demonstration…”

“…”

Just how many people had seen it that it became such a hot topic among so many students?

As time passed, I hoped the commotion would calm down, and I ran along the tram tracks to arrive at the dormitory without drawing too much attention.

I parked the bike at the entrance and entered the dormitory. That’s when I heard the sounds of students talking from the lounge.

There were exactly four presences. Marian, Schurz, and Gwen. But the last voice was someone I had never heard before.

“Hmm?”

Had the students brought another student into the dormitory?

There wasn’t a specific rule against bringing students from other classes, but if they were close enough to bring someone into the dormitory, I needed to know as their instructor.

As I thought that and entered the lounge, what unfolded before my eyes was an unexpected sight.

“Uegh…! I-I’m trash… I’m no better than a maggot, a cockroach, or even parasites…!”

“Calm down! It wasn’t that bad!”

“R-Right… People can make mistakes too. Why don’t you try to calm down a bit?”

“N-No! I made a mistake in front of so many people and inconvenienced Doctor Brown and everyone…! I’m just food waste that can’t even be recycled…!!”

“Ugh! Stop crying! First, drink some tea and gather your strength!”

“…….”

Three people were comforting a woman crouched in the corner.

The moment I saw that scene, I felt an overwhelming fatigue wash over me as soon as I returned.

*

“I-I’m very sorry…”

Thanks to the black tea that Marian poured for her, the woman seemed to have calmed down a bit and bowed her head.

Wearing a lab coat and large horn-rimmed glasses that covered half her face, the curly-haired woman introduced herself in a voice lacking confidence.

“My name is Mari von Kirch. You can just call me Mari… I’m doing something like a subordinate to Doctor Brown… it’s not much… Nice to meet you, Instructor Ion.”

Mari bent down again and bowed deeply, almost burdensomely.

“…….”

In the end, I couldn’t really tell if she was a subordinate or not.

Marian placed the black tea in front of me and spoke.

“I heard it earlier, but your name is kind of similar to mine.”

“Uuuh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to confuse you just because our names are similar…!!”

“N-No! That wasn’t what I meant!?”

Mari, who had just managed to calm down, wrapped her face in her hands and burst into tears again, and Marian, looking flustered, tried to comfort her.

Certainly, it might be a bit confusing to have Mari and Marian together, but that wasn’t what was important right now.

I lightly tapped my fingers on the table to draw everyone’s attention. Then, in a calm voice, I asked.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Ah, um… Actually, Doctor Brown asked me to check the condition of the prototype used during the demonstration… and to repair any broken parts properly.”

“I see.”

I was a bit concerned about its condition since I had pushed the bike to its limits.

Although I had received it, it might have sustained some damage, and the only one who could fix it was Doctor Brown.

Fortunately, it seemed Doctor Brown intended not just to hand me the prototype but also to properly repair it.

“Are you going to repair it yourself?”

“Uuuh! I-I’m sorry…! I must not look very reliable compared to Doctor Brown, right? I’m less than an ant… not even a weevil…!!”

“…I just asked without any particular meaning. Calm down.”

Talking to her was like conversing with a ticking bomb, or maybe it felt like walking through a minefield full of magical landmines.

In fact, it was surprising that a young woman like her, despite being Doctor Brown’s assistant, seemed so knowledgeable about magical engineering.

Of course, I didn’t doubt her skills; I was just fascinated. But I figured that if I brought that up, she might burst into tears again, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Then there’s no need to waste time. I’d like to ask you right away.”

“Ah, yes…!”

Mari stopped crying as soon as the topic of work came up and rose from her seat. Just then, Schurz, who had been listening, spoke up.

“Instructor, do you mind if I take a look too?”

“Take a look at the bike repair?”

“I’m personally interested in it. I think observing it would be a good experience.”

I thought it was fine, but I wasn’t sure if it would be okay for others to see the repairs, so I looked at Mari.

Mari nodded slightly as if it was fine, and since she agreed, I thought it would be no problem and nodded as well.

“That’s fine. How about the others?”

“Oh! Then can I also take a look?”

“I’d like to see it too, if it’s okay. It’s a rare opportunity to see something like this.”

Both Gwen and Marian agreed, and in the end, we all left the lounge and went outside the dormitory.

“Then… I’ll get started.”

Mari sat in front of the bike parked at the entrance and pulled out tools from her bag without hesitating at all about getting her clothes dirty on the dusty ground.

“Okay, first, the most important thing, the engine… it does show signs of overheating, but there’s no major issue. I was most worried about the engine, but at this level, I don’t think it needs to be discarded.”

Her expression shifted from one of despair and insecurity to one of seriousness as she inspected the bike closely.

“The wheel joints have loosened. This can be repaired here without problem… oh dear, the coolant has leaked a little. It seems like it took a hit. I’ll fill this up along with the fuel.”

Mari took out tools from her bag and started repairing the bike on the spot.

It was a small bag, yet she kept pulling out various heavy tools, which surely meant that it was enchanted with space expansion magic.

Contrary to my fears about her low self-esteem, her hands working on the bike were swift and unhesitating.

“Ooh…”

“That’s amazing.”

The three students from the Opal Black Class couldn’t help but admire her professional skills.

Truly worthy of being called Doctor Brown’s assistant. Even though she insisted she was more on the edge of being an assistant rather than one.

“Haah… it’s done. With this, you should be able to ride it without trouble for a few months. Provided you don’t drive it as roughly as today.”

“I see. Thank you for your hard work in maintaining it.”

“Eh-heh… It’s nothing. If you ever need repairs, just let me know anytime. As long as it’s something simple like checking in the dormitory, I can do it anytime.”

“Isn’t that a bit difficult? You’re not a student, after all.”

Although she had come to the academy today as a guest for Doctor Brown’s demonstration, it was quite rare for someone from outside to enter the dormitory like this.

When I said that, Mari tilted her head in confusion and replied.

“Huh? But I am a student.”

“…What?”

“D-Didn’t I mention? I must have forgotten. Here…”

She pulled out a badge from her pocket.

The white badge resembling a diamond had the number III written on it. Indicating she was a third-year student in the Diamond White Class.

Upon closer inspection, I realized she was wearing a lab coat, but underneath it she had on the familiar uniform shirt and skirt. It meant she was indeed a student of Philion Academy.

Seeing this, Marian exclaimed in astonishment.

“W-What!? You were a senior!? Uh, uh, s-so, you’re a senior?”

“Uuuh! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to catch you by surprise by being a senior…!!”

“That’s not what I meant, so please calm down!”

Mari collapsed to the floor and burst into tears for a long time, and the three students struggled to comfort her.

“Ha…”

I sighed deeply, watching that scene.

I should be thankful for meeting a talented engineer.

But why is it that engineers are all so… abnormal?

 

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