Vol 20 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Mortal Technica
Spring was near
”The weather is really nice”
Harley leisurely drank tea while looking at the scenery outside from theof the research lab
Recently, there had been so to enter the school next ses could become noisy easily
However, in the end that kind of situation would only happen in the area with residences for foreigners, so the location of Harley's research lab - also the area of the Alchemy Departh it hadn't been long, when the deeply cold winter finished, the war away any tension in the at the closedlet fresh air flow in,one feel fantastic
However
”Close the , dust will get in”
”Guah,away! Hurry up and close the !”
The voices co the , he turned his head and looked behind him
”Uh I think I should still say it”
The two co with him were here - Kirik and Taurus The three of theether, but they didn't deliberately collaborate, so the reports and research results that were submitted to the Alchemy Department were done individually
There was the dark-personality Kirik who alore a displeased look, Taurus who always had a bright exterior, and Harley
”The dust in this room is definitely more than outside, and if you put your files away properly they wouldn't be blown everywhere by the wind”
”Shut up, you're not allowed to lecture rily, but Kirik just narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction
But, this rooh there were tables here for three people to do their work individually, research books, azines, and paper was piled everywhere around the tables, and tools and s with soaps When the three of them focused on research, there were quite a few instances when they would hile eating things, so there were some food scraps and some sauce that seemed to have leaked out dropped on the floor, still there even now
In Harley's eyes was reflected a piece of vegetable that could have dropped out fro constantly squashed and trampled by their feet
Why would this kind of scene e in his heart?
”I put et bloay, and I also knohat files are in what place”
”Shut up! I also do that kind of thing!”
Taurus seemed very impatient But he was normally always very ih his exterior was bright and lively, his inner feelings were this explosive, just like how Kirik always had an unpleasant expression on his face In other words, this was their normal state of mind Harley wondered hoas able to survive in this kind of environment
The reason everyone said alchemists were all weird people was related to this kind of situation
After drinking the re tea, Harley drew out a paper from the tools and files that had been blown around by the wind
”But, the budget increase is really great”
Today, unexpected good news had come to this research lab Other than Military Artists, all of the underclasseneral education subject, and they could only change to a specialized depart to their fourth year, but the Alche as they passed a special test that was held after they reached their second year, they could enter the Alche Dites required proficiency in various areas, and the goal of this was to get them started earlier and cultivate the people with these comprehensive technical skills, but most people felt that they did this to 'quickly send the weirdos to where they should be'
It was sorrowful that the Alche that
The three people staying in this research lab were currently in the third year, and they were all geniuses or scholars that had passed the special exaet co had been released today, and they had decided to raise the budget of the research lab of Harley and the others
”Hs were affirh to have the Student Council request us to ”
Kirik harrumphed and sounded displeased
”The Adamantium Dite”
Taurus also seemed to feel displeased
”Thedidn't even get used!”
The idea of the Ada battle, had been proposed by Kirik, but Taurus had been the one who had the skills to implement this idea So, Taurus felt very displeased that Layfon al point - the h Kirik had felt satisfied at Layfon's results when he had begun using blades, the weapons that they ined in his heart, so he was probably also displeased
However, Harley was different
”Really? But I think it should be that way”
Harley believed that what Layfon wanted most wasn't actually improvements in the weapon's shape or perforh to amaze others, so what Layfon needed should be a Dite that allowed hith as possible Because of this, Harley orking with other things as well as the Adamantium Dite in order to improve their Kei capacities as much as possible
However, until now, Harley still hadn't been able to h thisof continuing toto welco a Dite raduation he could still ith his parents as a Dite s frooal, it would only ood for people to have soard, the other two people with bad moods and impatient attitudes were also because they hadn't reached the goals they had set The reason they were able to keep themselves motivated was related to those attitudes The research results of the two of them had never been affected by their bad s were
”Ah, whatever! In any case, we should decide what to do next!”
Taurus spoke loudly as if to change the ain?”
Kirik frowned in annoyance
”I want to research the golden ratio of durability and cutting power, along with new materials that are able to realize that ratio”
”Rather than that, the multi-form function is better! This ti useful! Let's co recently!”
”Didn't we already reach the conclusion that Karen Kei doesn't need multi-form functionality?”
”Conclusions of that level won't dousemore troublesome than a researcher who doesn't think about the user”
”You're the only one with no right to say that!”
It was already a custom for the two of the to their conversation, and turned his eyes to the
Many things had happened this year
More than a year had passed since Nina had added hi cere the fresh new students ould enter next year, Harley felt that even more clearly
It has almost been a year since he - Layfon Alsief - had come here On the scale of a hu of a tieration to say that s had happened in a year
He had entered the platoon competition with the seventeenth platoon that had proble, had obtained continuous victories like never before, and even proved his power because filth monsters had attacked Because of his power, the Ada phase had been born And because he was here, the shi+htingto do with hiearfilth ht for survival Though Harley didn't want to agree with that kind of thought, it was because he was in this kind of battle that his techniques had developed this quickly The Alchemy students had responded to the Military Arts students' requests and created new things Harley believed that process was extremely natural
It was because of Layfon that he had been able to spend such a substantial year
It was because of Layfon
Looking a year back, a certain scene suddenly flashed through his mind
Harley nor Especially when he was focusing on research, he could even be said to be totally ihts
But Harley Sutton was a person, a living being, and also a er were also like that Though he could ignore those needs when his , there were limits to what he could endure And that was applicable to the situation, as expected
Any healthy boy would naturally be like that
”Ahh”
So even if he couldn't help fro, he was helpless about it
”I really want a girlfriend”
What eot bentos of love, and there were people whoNot only that, even Felli who had been reluctant to join had even become more active after he entered Not only that, his childhood friend froirl who ad him to this Acadeirls around him Harley couldn't help but doubt that
Layfon originally hadn't see to becoirls, but Harley couldn't kno that situation would turn out later Particularly, in the business concerning Grendan recently, some sort of situation seemed to have occurred with his childhood friend, and htly Sharnid always jokingly said that he had a congenital slowness, but maybe there would be a day when he would have to take back that teasing
Harley thought that this was essentially a good thing for Layfon
He definitely didn't feel unhappy
After all, in the Acadeh the scales differed in size, every platoon had their own fan club, and it wasn't a strange thing for so Never inally from the tenth platoon, Harley had even seen the new platoon ifts
It wasn't only Layfon who could encounter this kind of good situation particularly easily Harley had also seen people other than the list he had just ifts from their fans
However, what should he say- it was definitely a probleh Sharnid was frivolous, he wouldwith his feree to his fans' solicitations easily, froirls ere very close to him, and that was definitely the reason Harley cared about this aze, Harley suddenly returned to his senses
”What is it?”
At so, and the two of them silently looked at Harley
”Harley”
”You”
”Wwhat?”
”Ddon't be like that, don't look at azes from the two of them sent Harley into disarray
”Don't think about it, it will only make you feel empty”
”What? You're already that backed up? How sad”
”Shut up! Think about why that is!”
Though Harley had that thought, he hadn't thought he would unexpectedly give it words, and he realized that the teood women in the real world Don't we also have research! Since you have those kinds of thoughts, why don't you do this?”
Harley thought that Taurus was going to grab his own arazine in his hands for hiirl
Her body was very petite, and she was very cute Her creator had put an extre, so if she appeared in the three diht be filled with unnatural feelings froazine
”This is the superb maiden Lantica!”
For soirl with a very proud tone
”If youthat so mass-produced won't, and I think that after your possessive desires are satisfied, incredible things can happen Ah, though the basic structure is the sas obviously have their own differences After all, nificance”
”No thanks, reality is better!”
”bastard! This is also reality!”
”I'll enjoy that kind of thing after I've looked at reality!”
”Don't think that only reality can make you happy!”
Harley already wasn't very clear on the situation Right noas being lured in by Taurus into that territory that he could never co iaze In the end, Harley left the research lab without ress at all
◇
Just sighing washihed while thinking that
Anyone single, regardless of whom, should yes, they would feel the sudden loneliness that he felt to be unbearable
Of course, even if he just spoke about it unconsciously, Harley understood that it was a very e from Kirik and Taurus's point of view, it would be unbearable to be forced to listen to such words After all, the two of the with others, and Harley also knew that they didn't have girlfriends
Normally, even Harley wouldn't think of such matters But as he was noith his body heavy and the sounds of the city's legs reverberating through the spring air, he suddenly had that urgent thought
Maybe the feeling of spring created the feeling in him that he would have a new encounter
That kind of feeling would often be asince understood that fact, but he still couldn't stop that feeling fro Even if it couldn't be confirmed, even if it were just a kind of mood, Harley still had to suddenly face this kind of loneliness and this kind of feeling
”Hah”
He couldn't stop sighing
Once he left the school building, he could only return ho that current feeling If there was a good opportunity, , but he couldn't control that himself, which was the unfortunate and troubleso Harley could do right noas count the constant sighs that caood opportunities and encounters, since he couldn't control the when they would occur
So, Harley didn't know at all that there was a person blocking his road Harley had no way of knowing that this person was a girl, or that that girl would open her mouth to speak to him, or what her words would be
In other words, all of this suddenly happened
◇
Recently, she hadn't hadthe refurbishh the two of them were childhood friends from the same hometown, if they lost the opportunity to see each other, they obviously wouldn't , she had a character that wouldn't neglect her individual training - that was the reason Nina was Nina
With no other choice, Nina went to Harley's research lab to ask Harley to fix her training Dite
However, Harley wasn't inside the research lab
”He hasn't come at all recently”
So, the person burdened with the repairs turned into Kirik earing the sah a special machine to his tere for Harley to not coe as Nina skipping training without a reason
”No”
Several wrinkles were added to his unhappy expression as he murmured quietly The movements of his hands didn't stop as he did that
”No In some sense, it counts as a sickness”
”Nn? What does that mean?”
Nina didn't understand what Kirik had said, so she tilted her head and showed a confused expression
”No”
Kirik replied very vaguely But, maybe his mind and hands could function independently, as the repairs of the Dite had already progressed to the next stage
”It's a material deterioration Recently, the lifetimes of Dites have beco into the box next to the console from Nina's perspective, she really couldn't make out what difference there was between the contents of that box and the trashcan beside it, but he still took out a new Dite material from inside it and commenced replacement work
”Ah It's because”
Just as the words were about to leave her mouth, Nina retracted theht in a crisis, Nina's ability had increased in a short period of ti it so that she couldn't use her oer coht as Layfon
Because of this, Nina had gotten in trouble, but resolved this proble the Electronic Fairy's help [1]
However, she couldn't use those in routine training, so she could only use a normal Dite But, maybe Nina hadn't achieved Layfon's level of power control, and normal Dites would become scrapped in her hands
”What happened?”
”Uh rown?”
”It's hard to say”
Nina had originally planned on fudging it with a joke, but she got a thorny reply from Kirik
”Actually, it'smanipulated by a new toy”
He had said that if he observed the condition of the Dite, he could understand al about the Military Artist as its wielder
The worlds he spoke stung her chest
”If it were that guy, he could use the Dite while understanding its liuy' obviously meant Layfon Even now, there were several unrestored Dites arranged on the table Their forms were all blades, so they were definitely weapons s he was responsible for, and judging by how he talked, Layfon perfectly fit the part
Just as Nina was thinking about that, Kirik finished repairing the Dite
”If there's souy”
”Thanks”
Nina received the Dite Kirik gazed at the data in the ie reflected on the terminal, like his interest had already ain, Nina left the research lab
Just then, the other resident of the research lab walked in, but he see she was there
The angry slam of a doorother than feel confused
”dary voice as soon as he entered the research lab, but Kirik just frowned, not e on the teruy, to think he would show those colors!”
It see the things scattered on the floor, and his feet had kicked sory as he sat down on the chair in front of his working desk
”Hey, you couldn't haveattitude, so Taurus spoke to him with an impatient tone Kirik expressed the displeasure in his heart with a frown, and then put the hand that had been on his chin to the wheels of his wheelchair But, he still didn't look at Taurus
”It just means he's also a man”
”Is that it?”
”Could it be that you have soo convince hio convince hi like a three-di unhappiness”
It was hard to iirls into three dio would say that kind of line
No,taken fro that had been three-di But, Kirik had no interest at all in the difference between the two
”You're the one who should be convinced”
”What did you say!”
”Though it's insignificant, you should wait for that kind of thing to cal we say will be effective”
In order to end the topic of two and three dimensions, Kirik quickly butted in
”Tch”
Taurus clicked and shut his ain focused his e
”Could it be that you're jealous?”
”You're annoying!”
Kirik's sio red
◇
Her name was Nene Mia Monsouf
”It's fine to call me Nene or Mia, but don't call me by both names Since no one would do that in nized her from when he had just entered the Alcheher than Harley, and moreover had looked after him quite a bit when he had just entered the Alchemy department She was quite tall, with a head of short silver hair, and slasses perched on her nose He had heard that it was just ainstruhted
Her Alcheback and forth in roothe streets, or the paper book organizing ence machines that could be seen everywhere on the roads - any citizen would be able to see those machines
Battlewere also included
And her focus was being responsible for inventing battle
She seemed a bit neurotic if observed froentle teht posture like a Military Artist along with friendly eyes? Harley thought so
”Um, does it trouble you that I suddenly confessed to you?”
”It doesn't, no way”
The intellectual at with the slight loving atht now, Harley was in her research lab This place didn't have to be shared by three people like Harley and the others', but was a personal-use research lab
There was an object covered by sheets in the rooh he didn't knohat it was, the interior of the rooly tidy other than it, and a tea set had even been placed It was a level of tidiness worlds apart fro hiht 'Is this place really a research lab?'
However, the smell of oil that couldn't be completely removed still told him a fact - this place was the same as the research lab that Harley and the other used, a space that existed to be used for research
Harley felt a bit light-headed from the sharp aroma froht before, while Harley had been blankly walking on the road, Nene had been the one who appeared in front of hi was that she had confessed to Harley
This incredibly surprising fact ape wordlessly in doubt, and he even looked in all directions to see whether there was so at his incredulous appearance
However, he hadn't noticed anyone else there
”Uood?”
”ThThat's not the case at all! Of course that's not true!”
Her words easily captured Harley
Even now, he still had some doubt about this irl, and excelled to the point of having her personal research lab Including co up with the Adamantium Dite, this year Harley and the others had assisted the seventeenth platoon and Layfon, and helped out with the requests of other platoons as well, and showed their activity in nized by their increase in budget, they still hadn't been permitted to have their own personal research labs for the next year
Right now, only Layfon could use the Adaard, the Adah invention Though the shi+h evaluation, its cost control was poor due to a usage of large amounts of Dite material, and because of this the Student Council hadn't ordered it to be used in actual battle Without the Student Council's subsidies, the shi+m Adamantium Dite could only beco for the best weapon efficiency In that regard, this conclusion was quite reasonable
On the other hand, Nene hadn't only invented training machines for Military Artist use, but she had also tried deriving techniques to be used in other areas, so the scope of her activity was very broad Moreover, Harley had also heard that she had gotten many actual results, and because of this it could be said that it was a natural outcome for her to possess her personal research lab
Yes, she was very outstanding
Why had she, as like that, chosen hiht about this
”Because you're very cute”
”Huh?”
”You showed a look of doubt, so I said the reason Is that not enough?”
”Ththat's not what I h made Harley lower his head
”Of course, if you were too poor of an Alchemy student, I wouldn't like you even if you were very cute”
”Uh”
The word 'like' made his face become even hotter
ThThe stimulation was too intense
To a novice in love like Harley, just that word made his entire body unable to move
Ahh, but, if he didn't think of a topic to talk about
It had already been three days ago since her confession to him After that, when the two of them met around school, Harley would always become shy like this and unable to properly speak to her
Ahh, but, topic topic What should I talk about?
Harley didn't have anything in his h now, he had always single-mindedly focused on Dite research, and until now he hadn't even felt interested in other things, like fashi+on, music, or movies
On the other hand, Nene wore pretty clothes under her white Alchemy lab coat, and even Harley could see instantly that she was very fashi+onable Even in this aspect, Nene still didn't have any faults
Uuu nothing He no longer had a choice
”Ssenpai, what research are you conducting now?”
She was also an Alchemy student, so she couldn't hate that kind of topic Harley thought this as he spoke
”Right now? I' Do you want to see?'
”Ah, okay”
Nene wasn't unhappy Though Harley relaxed a bit, after he saw Nene walking to the covered object, he still went along with her curiously Since the moment he had entered this room, he had been very interested in the object underneath the sheets
Nene grabbed the sheets tightly, and pulled them off all at once
”Uwah”
What was there was a three-di about up to Harley's chest Of course, it wasn't just a three-dimensional model
It was probably a test work, because its outer layer was hly Maybe it was made to move by extension, as there were many parts on its head area with such functions It didn't even have an exoskeleton, and just directly showed the sensory htly and vertically
Harley had seen this creature before
”A larva?”
”Right, used for actual battle training After all, a , and it can fly in the air, so I think it's better to use a si But that would becoroup battle, and also leads to some problem in price of equipment, so because of this we can't use such aBut, if it were a larva, we only need to make a certain number to let two or three platoons carry out cooperative battle training on the practice field? Moreover, it was also raised once in Military Artist reports that using a siet used to pain as early as possible”
”I see”
Nina would be ecstatic once she heard this, Harley thought
”I plan to make the size of the finished produce even closer to the real creature But with that, there will be problee to make material for the shell from synthetic compression plates made from sand, we definitely need to choose softerhow ether, how far we can reduce the cost is also a problem”
The eloquent rethen, and what to cut dohen creating a product, those questions were bound to spin around in one's head However, Harley didn't often think about cost control Even if he considered it, at it would just be research fees paid as a commission
Even in Dite research, Harley preferred to adjust Dites made for personal use, so it could be said that he didn't need to go think about cost control Even if only Layfon could use the Adaht that its specifications were just that way, so he couldn't do anything about it Though the shi+ perfection, Harley didn't change his way of thinking because of it He thought that in the end he was a researcher, so it was fine to pass the probles to other people to resolve In the end, applicability wasn't very i personal bests
Maybe this was the correct thinking of a researcher
But, if he really wanted to let his creations beco about those parts of the product would definitelythe question 'how can this thing be used?' to the user when things were co the other party a direction to some extent, that would make it more comfortable for the other party
This person couldn't only research
Harley had originally respected this senpai greatly, and after learning of her ways of thinking, that thought beca”
”That's not true Also, your Dite adjust the Military Artists”